Finding a Family
by Crimson Rosary
Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly,Ron,Ginny Bashing!
1. Chapter 1 - Big News

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly,Ron,Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

Chapter 1

~ Big News ~

X - X

 **HARRY POTTER DEFEATS YOU-KNOW-WHO!**

 **By: Rita Skeeter**

 **On June 18, 1996, the Ministry of Magic was filled with Death Eaters, followers of the evil and dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort. After an entire year of criticizing Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, Minister Fudge, see picture on the left, finally sees proof – proof that You-Know-Who has finally returned! He finally acknowledges the revival of You-Know-Who during the last task of the Triwizard Tournament. As you may all remember, it was young Harry, age fourteen, whom had alerted us of his existence, yet Minister Fudge and Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge, see picture on the right, swiftly cheapened his words because of the Minister's own irrational fear of losing his position.**

 **My fellow readers, why, do you ask, was Harry Potter, see picture on the right, fighting a battle with You-Know-Who in the Ministry of Magic's atrium? The Boy-Who-Lived answers, "We were trying to prevent Voldemort from taking the prophecy. And in turn, my godfather was almost killed trying to protect my friends and I."**

 **When asked why a bunch of children would do the work of an adult with more experience than had, Harry Potter had this to say, "The Ministry had already taken over Hogwarts. The curriculum to protect our students from any outside danger was quickly denied. Dumbledore and the professors had their hands tied behind their backs; they were subtly threatened with imprisonment should they go against the Ministry, or more specifically the Minister. And because of this, we had to take action. If we allowed Voldemort to make his move, what else will the Ministry allow him to do?"**

 **What else indeed, my readers? We were all lucky to be saved by the Boy-Who-Lived after he selfishly made his way to the Ministry to fight against You-Know-Who. Backed by his comrades, they defended themselves against Death Eaters until Dumbledore had arrived with Aurors! Once it came to a one-on-one duel, Harry Potter used his magic and, in an epic clash between the two wizards, fell You-Know-Who, turning his remains to ash. It is all thanks to the Savior of the Wizarding World for protecting our magical community, not once, but twice in his lifetime! June 18, 1996 will live on as the day Harry Potter relinquishes You-Know-Who's reign of terror on the witches, wizards and magical creatures of the Wizarding World.**

 **To see the damage inflicted during the battle within the Ministry's Atrium, see Page 5.**

 **To see Harry Potter's friends' opinion, see page 6.**

 **To see Harry Potter's biography, see page 7.**

 **X - X**

 **CORNELIUS FUDGE REMOVED FROM OFFICE!**

 **By: Rita Skeeter**

 **On July 6, 1996, a week after the battle between Harry Potter, see picture on the right, and You-Know-Who, repairs for the Ministry of Magic's Atrium had begun. On this same day, Minister Cornelius Fudge, see picture on the left, was called before the Wizengamot. Cuffed to the magic-inhibited restraints from the seat, Fudge was seen to be pale white, sweating profusely and seemingly nauseous – fearful for the means of the trial.**

 **As a stand-in for Minister of Magic during this trial, Amelia Bones, Head of Magical Law Enforcement, started the trial. After the administration of Veritaserum, Cornelius Fudge confesses to his crime. He admits to seeing the death of one, Cedric Diggory, Hogwarts Champion in the Triwizard Tournament. When asked how the boy came to be, Cornelius states, "Harry Potter screamed that Voldemort was back. That he had had to take Cedric's body to his father, Amos Diggory, and could not leave him behind."**

 **When asked what Cornelius did to stop You-Know-Who's return, he said this, "I did not acknowledge his existence, for if I did, many people would come to harm and I would be blamed for his return." After a follow-up question inquiring how people would come to harm if he had accepted You-Know-Who's existence, Cornelius replied, "The Wizarding World would fall into chaos. It was better to have the people of the community be oblivious to this. It was a wonderful decade of peace. I will not be remembered as the Minister who did nothing for his people!" When told that he, in fact,** _ **was**_ **the Minister that had done nothing for his people, Cornelius had nothing to say.**

 **A thorough investigation proved that Cornelius Fudge was bribed by many to get what they wanted. And as such, have slowly caused the deterioration of the Ministry of Magic and the Wizarding World. It is proven, through Veritaserum and Cornelius Fudge himself, that he has ordered Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge to have two Dementors sent to attack Harry Potter the summer before his fifth year at Hogwarts. Further investigations will be done on Fudge's past trials and doings and his punishments will increase depending on the charges.**

 **But for now, the outcome of Cornelius's trial, as voted by the Wizengamot, is to have him sent to Azkaban for three years** **, and afterwards given two years of house arrest, closely watched by a four Aurors. Accompanying this last sentence will be having Cornelius Fudge doing three years of community service.**

 **Cornelius Fudge was seen dragged out of the courtroom with urine stained pants.**

 **To read about the entire trial, see page 4.**

 **To read about Cornelius's underhanded dealings, see page 5.**

 **X - X**

 **DOLORES UMBRIDGE REMOVED FROM OFFICE!**

 **By: Rita Skeeter**

 **After the admittance of having ordered Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge to send two Dementors to attack Harry Potter at the summer before his fifth year at Hogwarts, and many more unchecked actions, Cornelius Fudge is faced with a sentence of one year in Azkaban, followed with two years of house arrest closely watched by four Aurors and three years of community service. There is still an ongoing investigation on Fudge's actions. Whether his punishment will be extended is yet to be seen.**

 **Based on this disclosed information, as of July 13, 1996, Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge has been called before the Wizengamot. With this trial came the exposure of blackmailing fellow Ministry employees, embezzling funds without ex-Minister Cornelius's Fudge's knowledge – funds that could have been used to further improve our Ministry of Magic, its various departments and the pay of numerous employees, as well as the illegal use of Blood Quills on Hogwarts students, year 1 through year 7.**

 **A loud uproar filled the courtroom; outraged, the Wizengamot called for the reason for her actions. In her defense, Dolores Umbridge had this to say, "It was for the good of the Ministry. If anyone dares to stand against my rule, they are standing against Minister Cornelius Fudge."**

 **Countless witnesses and victims have been called to speak against Umbridge – victims of her Blood Quill. The number of parents that have been escorted with their child to speak in the case had nearly overflowed the courtroom itself. Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived was also one of those victims. "It had started at the beginning of the year, and continued on throughout the end of the second semester."**

 **When asked if Umbridge had tried anything else on him, Harry admitted, "[she] nearly used the Cruciatus Curse on me, because I refused to tell her what she wanted to here. She told me – knowing there were students in her office – that what the Minister won't know, won't hurt him." At this confession, my readers, the tension in the courtroom was so thick you couldn't even cut it with a knife.**

 **But my readers, you must know this. As Headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore was entrusted to protect our children from any harm, yet here in this trial, it is proven that he had done nothing,** _ **absolutely nothing**_ **, to help out children; even going further to allow the harm of the Savior of the Wizarding World. Were it not for the children's quick thinking, Dolores Umbridge would have continued to mar every single one of the students at Hogwarts. And where was Albus Dumbledore, the leader of the Light, the most powerful wizard in the Wizarding World? Who knows, my readers? He was never there to protect the students.**

 **As it stands, Dolores Umbridge has been stripped of her title as Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. She will be sentenced to fifteen years in Azkaban for the use of an illegal dark item, fifteen years in Azkaban for attempting to use the Cruciatus Curse on an underage student, five years in Azkaban for using said item on students, both underage and of age, three years in Azkaban for sending Dementors to attack Harry Potter and twisting the situation to favor the Ministry and the Minister, making it seem as if it was Harry Potter's fault for using magic to defend himself, whilst he was underage. Dolores Umbridge has a total of thirty-eight years in Azkaban. When Dolores Umbridge is removed from Azkaban, she will spend ten years doing community service and fifteen years under house arrest with a squad of Aurors carefully watching her.**

 **To read about the whole trial, see page 5.**

 **To read about her list of illegal actions in the name of Cornelius Fudge and the Ministry of Magic, see page 6 to 7.**

 **X - X**

 **SIRIUS BLACK, WRONGLY ACCUSED?**

 **By: Rita Skeeter**

 **After Cornelius's removal of office, a thorough investigation had been done on his working ethics. And as such, a revelation came to be: Sirius Black, see picture on the left, Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, had been imprisoned in Azkaban for twelve long years. After his escape in the early summer of 1993, Aurors had not been able to track down the illustrious, believed to be, supporter of You-Know-Who.**

 **It is worth noting that Lord Black is the aforementioned Godfather of Harry Potter, having saved the Boy-Who-Lived from harm during the skirmish between the Death Eaters and the students of Hogwarts. It is with a heavy heart, my readers, that I tell you Sirius Black had been wrongfully accused to be the Potter's Secret Keeper of the Fidelius Charm.**

 **When asked to appear for a trial, one that Harry Potter had ordered and scheduled to prove his Godfather's innocence on July 20, 1996, it was revealed that Peter Pettigrew, an avid supporter of You-Know-Who was the Potter's Secret Keeper. Lord Black admits that it was plainly obvious many would think that he would be Secret Keeper due to his long friendship with James Potter, and therefore, with the help of Albus Dumbledore, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Headmaster of Hogwarts, performed the charm, casting Peter Pettigrew as the Secret Keeper.**

 **When questioned whether or not Dumbledore should have spoke up for him, Lord Black heatedly admits that, " [He] should have! Albus knew all along that I was not the Secret Keeper." Under Veritaserum, the truth revealed that Sirius Black had never murdered the thirteen muggles, had never murdered Peter Pettigrew, was never a Death Eater, and had never betrayed the Potter Family.**

 **If Dumbledore had performed the charm, why did the Leader of the Light betray Lord Black? Suffice to say, many are confused because of this matter.**

 **In the end, Lord Black is declared innocent and will have his title and possessions returned. A fee of 200,000 galleons will be reimbursed for the taxing years having spent in Azkaban as an innocent man. A search and arrest warrant will be put out for Peter Pettigrew – known to have an animagus with the form of a rat.**

 **To read about the entire trial, see page 5.**

 **To read about Sirius Black's trial in 1981, see pages 6.**

 **For explanations about the Fidelius Charm and Secret Keeper, see top of page 7.**

 **X - X**

 **BOY-WHO-LIVES WEALTHY?**

 **By: Rita Skeeter**

 **On July 27, 1996, Harry Potter, Savior of the Wizarding World, Defeater of Voldemort, has been emancipated. At the tender age of fifteen, with two years of school at Hogwarts left, Harry Potter is now the Lords of** _ **SEVEN**_ **affluent houses. That's right, my readers,** _ **SEVEN. Affluent. Houses**_ **. Harry Potter is now Lord Potter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, Lord Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Lord LeFey of the Noble and Most Ancient House of LeFey, Lord Merlin of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Merlin, Lord Gryffindor of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Gryffindor, Lord Slytherin of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Slytherin, and Lord Peverell of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Peverell.**

 **The title of Lord Black, has been given to him by the previous Lord Black, Sirius Black. As stated in his will, Harry Potter will now hold the title as Lord Black and all the responsibilities that come with it.**

 **As stated in Section 94, Sub-section 28, Law 51, all heirs of long, noble and ancient lines are to find wives to keep their bloodline and ancestry going. Though there is no time limit to finding a partner, Harry Potter must find several wives to continue on the Potter, Black, LeFey, Merlin, Gryffindor, Slytherin and Peverell lines.**

 **It is undoubtedly that after the mentioning of this article, droves of witches will flock to the young and powerful Lord. We hope to see Harry Potter in a happy relationship.**

 **To read about the history of Harry Potter's lines, see page 5 – 7.**

 **To read about Law 51, see page 8.**

 **X - X**

 **~ 12 Grimmauld Place, July 28, 1996 ~**

"I can't believe her!" Harry groaned, dropping his head onto the table.

"What's the matter, pup?"

"It's Skeeter! She somehow found out I've been emancipated and gained my inheritances." Harry said. Sirius had to walk closer to his godson to hear the answer; Harry's lips had been muffled against the dining table.

"We can sue her." suggested Sirius. "As you know from your inheritances, you now own about forty-five percent of the _Daily Prophet_ shares. You can ruin her."

"Just like I've almost ruined Dumbledore?" laughed Harry. The Gryffindor did not appreciate his godfather's arrest being immediately categorized as non-important and "obvious" due to certain beliefs. As of right now, the two wizards were not speaking with the Headmaster of Hogwarts, though it did not stop the older wizard from sending packages to apologize for all his wrongdoings.

"You know, he never meant to hurt you like that. Or me."

"Bullshit. Don't pull that on me. He knew _exactly_ what he was doing. He should have immediately called for a fair trial for you! You think being Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot is _just_ a title?! No! He should have done something for you, Sirius! You should not have been locked up in that godforsaken hellhole!" Harry ranted. The fine china from the cupboards had started to shake, whilst the dining room table began to form deep cracks. "And I know you're upset too because you've kicked them out of Grimmauld Place." he grumbled.

"I understand, Harry." soothed Sirius. He did not mean to distress his godson this much. This was a touchy topic for the both of them – especially for Harry. And what Harry said was true. In his temper, he banished the Order of Phoenix from 12 Grimmauld Place, whipping their memory of their exact location. It always bugged him to see people running around his home like they'd owned the place.

"I am not going to talk to him." Harry huffed. "Now, what am I going to do about this article?"

"There's nothing _to_ do, pup. In a little over a month, you'll be returning to Hogwarts. In a few days, you'll be going through your magical inheritance. Maybe it will help you find the perfect mate, or mates." Sirius said.

Harry sighed. "What do I do about the girls that will undoubtedly try something?"

"Your family rings can take care of that, remember?"

X - X

" _Ah, Mr. Potter. Come to see your account manager?"_

" _Yes, thank you Ragnok."_

 _The goblin spoke in Gobbledegook and within a minute, a goblin arrived, beckoning them to follow him._

" _May your gold flow and enemies perish." Harry bowed; Sirius followed suit._

" _May your life be forever prosperous." Ragnok grinned, a sparkle in his eyes. It was then that Harry knew something was up._

" _Please sit down." The goblin told them, once they entered the office._

" _Thank you for helping us, Griphook." Harry smiled._

 _The goblin seemed surprised. "You… remember me, Mr. Potter?"_

" _Of course. I could never forget. You were the one who brought me to my vault when I first came to Gringotts. I'm glad you got a promotion."_

" _Thank you." Griphook was deeply pleased. "Now, it is procedure here at Gringotts. So I would need three drops of blood here."_

 _Harry gave the required amount and watched as lines appeared before his name, showing the rest of his family tree._

" _Good, you are indeed Harry Potter. Would you like to hear your parents' wills? As well as your godfather's?"_

" _But Sirius is not dead." Harry frowned._

" _Nonsense!" barked Sirius. "Have it read, Griphook. Might as well do it now when everything is done together."_

 _Nodding his head, Griphook retrieved the three wills and started with James Potter's will first._

" _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. I, James Charlus Potter, being of sound, body and mind, hereby declare this as my last will and testament. To my first friend at Hogwarts, Sirius Orion Black, I leave you with 1,000,000 galleons. To Remus John Lupin, a fellow Marauder, I leave you with 1,000,000 galleons for you furry condition. You deserve it, and no need for thanks. To Severus Tobias Snape, I leave you 1,000,000 galleons and an apology. I was an immature brat at Hogwarts, only wanting to pull pranks on you and make a joke out of you. This is, in no way, a form of bribery to get you to forgive me, for I know that I no longer deserve that. I just hope that you will be able to move on from the past and work through it all. To my son, Harry James Potter, I leave you with the rest of the Potter Fortune, the Potter properties and possessions. Though your mother and I might not be there for you as you grow older, know that we, most certainly, will be watching over you, Harry. The custody of my son, Harry James Potter, shall be given to the following people: Sirius Orion Black, Remus John Lupin, Severus Tobias Snape or Minerva McGonagall. Mischief Managed."_

 _Griphook closed James Potter's will and unraveled Lily Potter's will._

" _I, Lily Evans, being of sound, body and mind, hereby declare this as my last will and testament. To my childhood friend, Severus Tobias Snape, I leave you with 100,000 galleons and my potions textbook. I hope you can forgive me, Sev. A few days after that incident, I had calmed my head and tried looking for you. But, I could never find you or you were always walking away from me. I am not blaming you for what happened, because I know it was the Marauders' fault. I had talked it over with James and we decided to go look for you after Hogwarts, but by then the war had become too close to our doorsteps, and there was the prophecy, I'm sure you've heard from Albus. I forgive you, Severus; please take care of yourself. You'll always be my first friend. To Sirius Orion Black, I leave you with 100,000 galleons. Though I know you'll probably disregard my advice, I hope you lower your pranking ways. There is more to life than just pranks and games. To Remus John Lupin, I leave you with 100,000 galleons. Do not be afraid of what you've become; embrace it as a part of you, for it will help with your troubles. To my son, Harry James Potter, I leave you with the rest of my possessions in the Evans vault. Do not forget that your father and I are always with you. The custody of my son, Harry James Potter, shall be given to the following people: Sirius Orion Black, Remus John Lupin, Severus Tobias Snape or Minerva McGonagall. My son shall not be given to my sister Petunia Dursley or her family. Though we may have stopped any contact between the two of us, I know my sister will not appreciate magic in her house."_

" _Are you sure you wish to have your will read, Lord Black?"_

 _Sirius nodded his head. "Let's get this over with."_

" _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. I, Sirius Orion Black, being of sound, body and mind, hereby declare this as my last will and testament. To my brother in all but blood, James Charlus Potter, I leave you with 1,000,000 galleons. Marauders till the end! To Lily Evans, I leave you with 1,000,000 galleons. Thank you for being there for James in his time of need. To Remus John Lupin, I leave you with 1,000,000 galleons for your furry condition. If the world has changed after the battle, know that someone will change the laws to benefit all. To Severus Tobias Snape, I leave you with 1,000,000 galleons in hopes that you will be able to move on from what has happened in the past. I cannot apologize enough to make up for my immature actions that have cost your friendship with Lily and almost that of your life. To my godson, Harry James Potter, I leave you with the title of Lord Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. I leave you with the entire Black fortune, the Black properties and possessions. Though I may not have gotten to know you and you me, know that you will have to look no further than your heart, for all your loved ones are inside you, with you. If I am unable to take custody of my godson, Harry James Potter, he will be in the care of Remus John Lupin, Severus Tobias Snape or Minerva McGonagall. Mischief Managed."_

" _Please sign here, Mr. Potter, to acknowledge that you have heard the wills and you will receive your Lordship rings."_

 _Signing his name with a flourish, Harry received his Lordship rings, but was surprised to be given more than two. With a questioning look, Griphook quickly answered the matter._

" _Through the Potter line, you receive the Gryffindor, LeFey, Merlin and Peverell Lordship rings. The Slytherin ring comes from Lord Voldemort, as you are the closest cousin to him, and through the Peverell line as well, you receive the Slytherin Lordship ring."_

" _So… seven." Harry concluded._

" _Yes, seven Lordship rings." Griphook confirmed._

 _Harry slid them onto his fingers and a wave of warmth washed over him._

" _I can see they have accepted you as their Lords." Griphook smiled, handing over a parchment paper. "Here are your accounts for each house."_

 _Potter Vault: 12,958,036 galleons, 8,150,747 sickles, 3,647,010 knuts. Possessions include: books, jewelry, clothes, Invisibility Cloak, James Potter portrait._

 _Potter Family Vaults: 960,630,800 galleons, 473,619,082 sickles, 283,541,826 knuts. Properties include: The villa in Spain, the chateau in Italy, the manor in America, the house in Godric's Hollow, the Potter Manor – location undetected. Possessions include: tomes and books, ancient artifacts, weapons and shields, jewelry, jewels and stones, several trunks of clothes, Family Tapestry, previous family portraits._

 _Evans Vault: 1,529,378 galleons, 590,671 sickles, 80,731 knuts. Possessions include: books, jewelry, clothes, Lily Evans portrait._

 _Black Vault: 13,101,429 galleons, 6,123,094 sickles, 4,051,279 knuts. Possessions include: books, jewelry, clothes, Sirius Black portrait._

 _Black Family Vaults: 1,071,938,456 galleons, 613,492,068 sickles, 382,810,443 knuts. Properties include: The villa in Romania, the house in Scotland, The Black Manor – location undetected. Possessions include: tomes and books, ancient artifacts, weapons and shields, jewelry, jewels and stones, several trunks of clothes, Family Tapestry, previous family portraits._

 _Gryffindor Family Vaults: 29,105,347,279 galleons, 10,530,129,675 sickles, 4,291,040,538 knuts. Properties include: The villa in Britain, Gryffindor Castle – location undetected, ¼th of Hogwarts. Possessions include: Gryffindor Sword (now in Goblins' possession), Sorting Hat, books, ancient artifacts, weapons and shields, jewelry, jewels and stones, several trunks of clothes, Family Tapestry, Godric Gryffindor portrait._

 _Slytherin Family Vaults: 29,137,269,485 galleons, 9,600,174,251 sickles, 4,310,745,862 knuts. Properties include:_ _The manor in Scotland, Slytherin Castle – location undetected, ¼th of Hogwarts. Possessions include: Slytherin Locket (destroyed), books, items in Chamber of Secrets, ancient artifacts, weapons and shields, jewelry, jewels and stones, several trunks of clothes, Family Tapestry, Salazar Slytherin portrait._

 _LeFey Family Vaults: 70,978,634,918 galleons, 58,041,956,723 sickles, 5,602,874,913 knuts. Properties include: LeFey Castle – location undetected. Possessions include: books, ancient artifacts, weapons and shields, jewelry, jewels and stones, several trunks of clothes, Morgan LeFey portrait._

 _Merlin Family Vaults: 83,091,364,570 galleons, 64,910,398,725 sickles, 10,495,100,273 knuts. Properties include: Merlin's Castle – location undetected. Possession include: books, ancient artifacts, weapons and shields, jewelry, jewels and stones, several trunks of clothes, Merlin's portrait._

 _Peverell Family Vaults: 94,697,205,381 galleons, 69,420,186,530 sickles, 6,102,947,835 knuts. Properties include: Peverell Manor – location undetected. Possessions include: books, ancient artifacts, weapons and shields, jewelry, jewels and stones, several trunks of clothes, Ignotus Peverell portrait._

 _Wizengamot Seats include:_

 _Potter: 3 seats_

 _Black: 4 seats_

 _Gryffindor: 3 seats_

 _Slytherin: 3 seats_

 _LeFey: 2 seats_

 _Merlin: 2 seats_

 _Peverell: 3 seats_

" _That's… a lot of money." Harry was shocked. Sirius barked out a laugh at his godson's face._

" _What did you expect? It was already a lot of money when you inherited the Potter and Black titles." Sirius smirked. "Oh, that reminds me. Each Lordship ring has its own, let's call it, ability. But each one is its own emergency portkey to the family's own property. It's not told to others what abilities the rings hold, but just so you know, the Black Lordship ring deflects any and all dark curses, hexes, jinxes, and spells that are sent your way. Pretty powerful, but that does not mean you will forgo your training."_

 _Harry nodded with a smile. "Of course not. Just because Voldemort is gone, doesn't mean I will let my guard down."_

" _But that doesn't mean you'll become an Auror like your old man and I, huh?"_

 _Harry shook his head. "No. I think I'm done with all the fighting. I'd want a career that keeps me on my feet though."_

" _Whatever you decide, pup, I'm one hundred percent behind you." Sirius gripped Harry's shoulder comfortingly and patted him on the back._

X - X

"Okay, so the Black Lordship ring protects its wearer against Dark curses, hexes, jinxes and spells. The Potter Lordship ring protects its wearer against all, any and every curse, hex, jinx and spell. The Slytherin Lordship ring warns its wearer against any potion added in drinks and food. The Gryffindor Lordship ring has an affinity for fire. The LeFey Lordship ring had an affinity for air. The Merlin Lordship ring had an affinity for water. And the Peverell Lordship ring had affinity for earth."

"Are you sure you want to be telling me this?" Sirius grinned.

Harry shrugged. "Why not? You're my godfather. I trust you."

The atmosphere grew solemn. The two wizards remembered what had happened after Harry had gotten emancipated.

X - X

" _They've been stealing from me?" Harry asked brokenly. His eyes never left the account statement that was given to him by Griphook._

" _I'm afraid so, Mr. Potter." Griphook confirmed. "This will be dealt with and labeled as highest priority. We'll fix this as soon as possible."_

 _Harry could not believe his eyes. Ron, Molly, Ginny and Dumbledore had been taking money from his vaults ever since he was a child. And the stealing started up the night of Voldemort's demise._

" _It will be returned with interest, Griphook?" Sirius asked. And the Goblin knew Sirius wasn't asking; he was practically demanding that retribution be done._

" _Of course. There will be a thirty percent interest return in what they've stolen. We'll have all the artifacts, clothes, jewelry, books and many other of Mr. Potter's possession returned as soon as you leave this office. The money will be dealt with as follows: freezing the thieves' accounts, withdrawing all they owe and if there is still any money left to return, their properties will be sold or will be appraised. Of course, they will be dealt with legally as well. Have no doubts about it, Mr. Potter." Griphook reassured the wizard. He was glad that the piercing green eyes were not looking at him. If it were, Griphook had no doubt that he would feel as if he had been dunk in the iciest pits of Hell._

" _What happens if they're still unable to pay their debt?" Harry asked._

" _It will either be appraised as added time to their arrest, should they be sent to prison, take a loan out with us, though it will be impossible because of their socioeconomic status, or you can deal with them accordingly."_

" _Are you saying –"_

" _Yes, you can take away their magic, put them in servitude or whatever you wish to happen to them." Griphook grinned evilly; he could practically hear the gears grinding in the young wizard's head, as his emerald green eyes took a devious shine to them._

" _Perfect. I expected nothing less from you Griphook." Harry smiled, leaning back against the chair. "But just to make sure, it was_ only _Molly Weasley, Ronald Weasley, Ginevra Weasley and Albus Dumbledore?"_

" _Oh yes. And for Dumbledore, his titles will be stripped. I have no doubts about it."_

" _Excellent. Though," Harry reached a hand out and quickly snatched the beetle into his hands as it was about to take flight. "I would like to keep this part of the conversation private until I wish for the public to know."_

 _Harry kept the beetle between his thumb and forefinger, deftly stroking its shell with a delicate touch. "I'm sure you understand." His words were directed at the insect between his fingers. And as if the beetle had understood him, it had nodded its head._

" _Good. Thank you for the assistance. I'll like to sign for your part in my reimbursement from those money-grubbers. Shall twenty percent suffice?" Harry asked, releasing the beetle, allowing it its freedom._

 _The wide-eyed look Griphook gave him proved that the amount those four people took from him would, undoubtedly, allow for an abundance in wealth for many years to come._

X - X

"So what are you going to do about Skeeter?"

"I'll let her have her fun." Harry grinned darkly. "If she pushes me too far, I'll have a little… talk with her."

"Ooh, my godson's gone dark." Sirius teased.

The fireplace erupted with green flames, spitting out Remus Lupin.

"Remy!"

"Remus!"

"Hello Sirius, cub." Remus gave Harry a tight hug and gave Sirius a brief one.

"Dumbledore said –"

"I don't want to know what he said." interrupted Harry. "He can't send you to be the messenger between us and them. You are not an owl."

"Yes well, he did not want to have more school owls returning with ruffled feathers as if they had been shocked by the wards – or your magic." chuckled Remus. "Here you go."

"What's this?"

"A gift – a form of an apology."

Harry frowned as he tore open the wrappings. "Great!" He said with fake enthusiasm, "Just what I wanted – a pair of socks."

Sirius stifled a chuckle. "You have to admit, pup. Yours are almost worn through."

"Then we shall go shopping!" Harry declared. "I don't want his gift. Send it back."

"It's rude to send it back opened."

Harry gave a long, loud and exaggerated sigh. "It's rude to send it back opened. It's rude to send it back closed and untouched. What do you want from me?!"

"To apologize?" The two elder wizards suggested.

"I will not. Until Dumbledore does something worthy of forgiving, I will give him the silent treatment." Harry decided. "Compared to Dumbledore, Snape is much better. Besides, the both of you _know_ what Dumbledore did."

Sirius nearly swallowed his tongue. "Snivellus?! _He's_ better than Dumbledore?!"

"Yes." The look on Harry's face dared Sirius to disagree. "Snape has always given it to me straight. He even promised to protect me and he has. You know how much he's done for me? Do you know how much trouble I've gotten into since the first day I've stepped foot at Hogwarts? While we're shopping, I've got to get him gifts." Harry muttered. "Well, come on! We haven't gotten all day. We'll have lunch in Diagon Alley."

In a few minutes, green flames whisked the three wizards away to their aforementioned destination.

X - X

All three wizards stumbled upon leaving the fireplace. Giving a quick greeting to Tom, they made their way to the back and tapped in the sequence to enter the magical community.

Once there, Harry, Sirius and Remus walked around – the elder wizards waiting for Harry to make a move. After the edition of the _Daily Prophet_ that had come out today, all the witches were giving Harry subtle glances, giggling to themselves. Others, however, were not as subdued, as they would walk by Harry several times, flirtatiously batting their eyes whenever they got within his proximity.

Sirius and Remus withheld their laughter when Harry would look at them with a disgusted look – unaware that the witches had been trying to flirt with him. He then led them into the sections of Diagon Alley where the merchandise were more expensive; yet, Harry still failed to notice the interested looks the witches threw at him.

"I knew he was oblivious, but this?!" Sirius whispered to the werewolf.

"He's not stunted in any way, if that's what you've come up with as your answer, Padfoot." sighed Remus.

"When I was his age –" began Sirius.

"Yes, yes. But he's not you, is he?" ended Remus. The werewolf was feeling a bit uncomfortable having to come through these parts. The clothes he wore were worn out and made him stand out within the richer parts of the Magical Community.

"Let's go in here." Harry said, leading them into a fancy looking, highly decorated boutique. _Un D'une Sorte_ it was called. Upon entering, a jingling bell was heard. Though the store was half full, it still drew attention to the three wizards whom entered.

The customers there gave them all a look before turning their attention away. Apparently, they did not care for the three wizards – which, in Harry's book, was fine by him.

"I'm sorry, but you must be in ze wrong store." An assistant said, as she walked over to them. "Especially your leetle friend zere." She motioned towards Remus and his clothes.

The assistant had brown wavy hair tied in a bun. Her hazel-orange eyes were narrowed at the three of them and her nose was wrinkled in distaste. She wore a white dress shirt coupled with a black vest and a grey pencil skirt. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and around her wrist were pincushions stuck with a multitude of needles. A sneer on her face spoke more than enough about what she thought of the three wizards that had stepped into the shop.

"We're just potential customers looking around the boutique. Is there anything wrong with what we're doing?" Harry asked, his voice cold and emerald eyes as hard as steel.

"I zink not. You ruffians will draw ze customers away from 'ere." She replied.

"What seems to be ze problem?" Another person came over, noticing the slight tension between the two groups. He had blond hair, which was swept to one side and had startling almond shaped purple eyes. He wore a green vest over a brown dress shirt and was wearing black dress pants. Like the assistant, he had pincushions around his wrists, yet he had a measuring tape hanging from his neck. The aura around the man spoke of being the one whom owned the fancy boutique.

In swift French, the woman and man talked softly. The woman was, no doubt, speaking poorly of them while the man was telling her to calm.

"Sirs, may we 'elp you?" He asked.

"I'd like to say, first off, that the manners your employee has shown is deplorable." Harry began.

"Eet is an outrage! How dare you talk to us zat way! Who do you zink you are?"

"My name is Harry Potter, Lord Potter-Black-LeFey-Merlin-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Peverell." Harry ground out, watching with glee as the two employees grew paler and paler with each additional house title. "And I don't appreciate your attitude towards my godfathers."

"Nous sommes vraiment désolés. S'il vous plaît pardonne dans nos mœurs. **1** ***** " The boutique manager murmured.

Now the trio was drawing in a crowd. The customers were interested in seeing how this would end up.

"We'll see." Harry said, walking into the store. The store manager hurriedly sent his assistant off before trailing after the trio.

"We were actually here to buy clothes. Seeing as how your store was very eye-catching, we thought we'd drop buy. But, what we didn't know was that the whole exterior was just a faux image to prevent customers from seeing how employees truly act towards potential customers." said Harry, as he felt the fabric of the shirt he was eyeing.

Sirius was smirking; he relished in the snotty attitude Harry was portraying. And Remus couldn't help but feel proud that his cub was protecting him, even after the war had ended.

"'Arry?" The Gryffindor turned his head and caught a flash of silvery-blonde before a witch appeared before him.

"Fleur? It's nice to see you. How are you?" Harry grinned, accepting the hug.

"Everything ez going great. I am currently working at Gringotts as an internship."

"That's great! And your accent is almost gone too. Is there anything else you're looking for?"

"Thank you. I have several internships lined up, and I'm currently doing two, but it only lasts for one year. I'll be doing checking through my list. But what are you doing 'ere? I read on the news that You-Know-Who is finally gone."

"Yes, he is, thankfully. I'm finally done with my job." Harry laughed.

"Ah, and these gentlemen are…"

"My godfathers, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Sirius, Remus, this is Fleur Delacour – the Beauxbatons Champion during the Triwizard Tournament."

"Black?" noted Fleur, eyeing the dark haired wizard with interest. "I 'ave 'eard of your innocence regarding your unfair imprisonment."

"Finally free. Thanks to my godson." Sirius grinned.

"I'm already we 'aven't met before." Fleur said, shaking Remus's hand.

"It's no bother at all." smiled Remus.

"Well, I'll leave you to your shopping then, 'Arry. We should catch up some time." Fleur smiled.

"I'll see you soon." Harry waved goodbye and watched as Fleur disappeared into the crowd.

"Wow, pup. Didn't know you have a Veela friend there." teased Sirius.

"Well, I do." admitted Harry. "Now, how about we do as she suggests?"

The next hour was filled with Harry ordering the boutique manager around, picking out several clothes and sending Remus and Sirius off to go change. Afterwards, he picked out a couple himself and had his godfathers throw in a little extra clothing of their choice.

By the time the hour was up, the wizards had shopping bags filled with various Egyptian cotton shirts, Acromantula silk dress robes, crushed velvet clothing of various different colors and of different shade as well as having another bag filled with clothing strictly for Snape.

Walking out of the shop, the manager bowed quickly thanking them in French. He was glad that he had not incurred the wrath of the young Lord.

The next couple of hours were spent shopping. Though Harry did not enjoy the idea of shopping, it was mostly due to the fact that girls took forever to pick out their clothes. He did not feel anything of that sort when he went shopping with his godfather; it was probably due to the fact that he was finally able to spend time with both of them – out in public, after the war, with the both of them alive and together, with him.

They went through several clothing stores, an apothecary and cauldron shop as well as Quality Quidditch Supplies, to which Sirius bought Harry the newest model in store: The Lightning Bolt – named after the Savior of the Wizarding World. It was faster than the Firebolt Sirius had given him and had triple the amount of charms built and spelled within its framework. Overall, Harry was deftly happy with his gift. He even gave the store owner an autograph to prove it.

They stopped by a small café, had their lunch and returned to 12 Grimmauld Place.

X - X

 **1** ***** _We are very sorry. Please forgive our manners._

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed it! R&R (:


	2. Chapter 2 - Inheritance & a Big Surprise

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly,Ron,Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

Chapter 2

~ Inheritance and A Surprise ~

X - X

The night before Harry's birthday had drawn nerves for the Boy-Who-Lived. It was a mere five minutes before July 31st, and as his tradition dictates, he would stay awake until the clock struck twelve. But the Gryffindor knew this year, this birthday, becoming sixteen, would be the most important year of his life. Having heard all about it from Sirius, Remus and surprisingly Severus, the three older wizards had told Harry that sixteen was the 'lucky' number that all witches and wizards would go through their inheritance, either a magical inheritance or a creature inheritance.

Harry had groaned at this knowledge. Knowing him, and Harry could fairly say with confidence that he did, the raven knew he would probably go through both, considering he was already known for having a larger magical core than others did.

Most people thought that having a magical inheritance meant that you would undergo a creature inheritance, but they were far from being correct. A magical inheritance would boost your magical core, allowing for better manipulation of magic and an increase in the amount of magic one could use affectively. A creature inheritance was just as its label stated – the coming of age when a witch or a wizard would become a magical creature based on which creature bloodline flowed through their ancestors' blood.

In fact, it had shocked him, Sirius, Remus and Severus that his magical core was larger than Dumbledore's! After taking a potion to determine how large his magical core was, the four of them saw that Harry's was possibly three times larger than Dumbledore's – and if they could describe it, his magic seemed to be ingrained in his blood, in every tissue, in every cell of his body – enabling the young wizard to use wordless and wandless magic, no doubt. And they had spent the last couple of days before his birthday doing so.

They had stopped today, allowing Harry to rest up for the entire day so he could be ready to receive his inheritance. But Harry laughed at them. How could one possibly be prepared to receive his or her inheritance?!

Other than those thoughts running through his mind, Harry's attention finally clicked to when he realized there was only ten seconds left until his sixteenth birthday.

Once the clock struck twelve, Harry wished himself a happy birthday before he felt a pain even worse than the Cruciatus Curse that Voldemort had put on him during the last task of the Triwizard Tournament.

X - X

Sirius shot up from his bed when he heard a bloodcurdling scream permeate the air. He quickly went to move from the bed but fell onto the floor with a low and pained grunt. Cursing his tangled up blanket, he ripped them off the lower half of his body and ran out the door. He met up with Remus and Severus, whom had taken to staying at Grimmauld Place when Sirius had offered up to allow the potions master access to the Black Library amongst his apology, at the foot of the stairs before they rushed towards Harry's room.

The heavy weight of magic was felt on the entire floor and green flashing lights shone through the gap at the bottom of the door. As they threw the door open, the heavy weight of magic felt like a thousand tons, slamming the three men onto the floor, earning groans of pain.

They slowly struggled to their feet, but just ended up with shaking arms and a difficult to raise head. They crawled military style towards Harry's bed where the screams were the loudest and where the light shone the brightest.

But when the three wizards reached within a three-foot radius around Harry, his magic pulsed and sent the wizards flying. They were not lucky enough to land on something soft; Sirius fell onto Harry's desk in the corner, Remus was thrown against a bookshelf and Severus was thrown against the drawers. Groaning in pain, they looked up to see a pulsating dome trickling over Harry. Once it reached the floor, it got cloudier and cloudier until it was no longer transparent.

And although Harry's screams were muffled, Sirius ran towards the dome, slamming his fists onto it as hard as he could. He pounded on it with all his might, screaming his godson's name. Remus and Severus joined in, trying to remove the dome with spells, but their magic was reflected off of the dome's surface.

The light grew brighter and with a resounding boom, light that came from ceiling, no doubt from the sky with the way the entire night seemed to light up, entered the dome, emitting an intense blaze that pierced through the cloudy dome.

Soon, the wizards saw that Harry's screams had quieted down, but it didn't stop Hedwig from screeching in her cage.

Harry was levitating a few feet off of his bed, his body limp and unconscious. Harry's now square shaped face enhanced his almond shaped eyes, chiseled jaw-line, red thin lips, and diamond shaped nose. His skin was slightly paler than his usual tan from working hard outside during the summer, but there was only a slight difference. He seemed to be growing in height and his dark bird's nest of a hair was growing in length. His body filled out, acquiring broader shoulders and obtaining a muscular build to his frail and fragile looking figure. When his inheritance was over, Harry slowly drifted back down onto the bed, but the dome remained in tack.

Severus had guessed that it wouldn't come down until a few hours later. And so, the three wizards made camp in Harry's room.

X - X

Harry's hand twitched, notifying Sirius of his pending awakening.

The animagus was quite stricken. He had never heard his godson screaming like that, not even from anyone he'd ever known. And he never wished for it to happen again. The three of them had woken up around eight in the morning, checking Harry once more, but unable to as his dome had not come down yet. They had decided on breakfast, which was a quiet affair. Afterwards, Sirius had taken to staying besides Harry and Remus besides the animagus. Severus said he would be at the potions lab, whipping up several more potions in case Harry would need some.

The dome finally came down after the three wizards had had their second meal of the day. And it was only an hour later when Sirius had seen Harry's hand twitching.

Soon, the raven groaned and peered at his room. Noticing that his vision was no longer blurry, he shot up and his hands started to roam around his face; he nearly freaked out when he felt the changes, but he remembered that he had undergone his magical inheritance.

"What am I?" he asked, jolting when his voice had become a lot smoother and melodious.

"An elf. A high elf actually." Remus stated. He had spent his time looking up creature inheritances in the Black Library, ready to notify his godson should Harry ask.

"High elf?"

"Also known as royalty." Remus explained. "Elves are a magical race of beings known to be, well supposedly, extinct. But clearly, you're one right now. High elf is, as the label says, the highest elven ranking. Then there's the queen, followed by the crown prince or princess, the generals, the militia and then civilians. "

Remus placed the book onto Harry's lap and pointed to the page. "If you want to read all about it, here's the book."

Thanking the werewolf, Harry placed it besides him and ate the meal that was brought to him by the house elf, whom had appeared during Remus's explanation.

X - X

"His magical core is gone." Severus muttered, canceling the spell.

"What do you mean it's gone?!" Sirius jumped from his seat. Harry grabbed his godfather's hand, eyes clearly stricken with fright.

"I mean, because of his magical inheritance along with a creature inheritance, becoming an Elf has caused his magical core to become one with Harry. Now he's stronger than ever, perhaps the strongest wizard in all of the Wizarding World. He can now access all sorts of magic. As an elf, a High Elf in fact, he already has a connection with the magic around him. This just cements his ever-growing strength. And because elves are immortal, he'll keep growing stronger and stronger."

"I-Immortal?" croaked Harry. He turned watery eyes towards his godfather and Remus. He was going to outlive his last remaining family?

"Hey pup," Sirius said gently, "It's going to be okay."

Harry sobbed. "It's not. I'm going to lose the both of you too." He sniffled.

Remus wrapped his arms around Harry, drawing the boy closer. He could feel Moony whining and itching to comfort his cub.

Severus looked on, but perked up before flipping through the old tome. "There is a… ritual." He began, drawing their attention.

"What ritual?" Harry sniffled, wiping his face with his sleeve.

"You can turn a person to an elf. It's a blood ritual, in fact. With high use of magic involved. The transformation, stated in this tome, takes several hours. There are ingredients here that are used in the ritual as well. Then there's the timing of the ritual and the location to do the ritual. It's all stated in this tome."

Harry instantly brightened up, looking at both his godfathers.

"We're always with you Harry. Always know this." Sirius said, ruffling his hair. Remus nodded.

Then Harry turned to Severus. "Um… Professor Snape?"

"Yes?"

"W-Would you also… if I were to ask… join us?"

"Do you mean…"

"Would you become an elf as well? The tome states that depending on the blood of the elf used, will the person become the same status. So, if you three were to use my blood, you would become High Elves as well."

Snape gave it a thought. "I just might do that. Who knows what things I can learn in your world, Harry." He smiled.

Harry beamed a grin in response.

X - X

"I have to do what?!" Harry nearly screamed.

Remus sighed, smacking Sirius when the wizard smirked wickedly. "As the last Lord to several Noble and Most Ancient Houses, you must be married with several wives."

"It's stated in Section 94, Sub-section 28, Law 51. If a witch or wizard is the last remaining heir of several Noble and Most Ancient Houses, they must marry to reproduce and continue on the lines." Sirius patted Harry on the back. "Why are you being so upset about all this? You get to marry beautiful women! WOMEN, Harry! As in plural!"

"Oh for Merlin's sake. Can't you say something smarter than that to calm your own godson down?" Severus sneered. He handed the Calming Draught over to Harry, who mechanically drank it down.

"It helps that as an elf, you already have a higher sex drive than most magical creatures." Remus pointed out. "Magical races." He quickly amended when Harry's emerald eyes took on a deadly glint.

The young wizard had taken to calling himself a part of a magical race rather than being labeled as a magical creature. Harry said that it was less derogatory that way, considering people tended to be biased about the type of magical creatures.

"How will I know who my wives are?"

"It says that there are a multitude of things that you can pick out in a witch or wizard to be the perfect spouse. From scent to their magical prowess, anything that you deem is an important asset or trait would suffice." Remus explained.

"I hope I don't end up choosing that redheaded slut." Harry groaned. Remus frowned at his choice of words, but with a sheepish smile, Harry got off scot-free.

"Where am I going to find them?"

"You have two more years at Hogwarts. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find them."

"All seven women? I can barely take one on a date!" groaned Harry, as he remembered his awful experience kissing Cho Chang, a student from Ravenclaw. "How am I going to keep them from killing each other?! What if they _hate_ each other! Oh Merlin, help me!" He prayed.

"Harry, Harry… HARRY!" Sirius cried out. His godson turned to him with a look in his eyes that spoke of dread and misery. "Don't worry. You'll get through this. If you defeated Voldemort, you can handle seven women."

"You better be right Padfoot. I don't want to die because my wives hated each other." But most importantly, Harry silently prayed, he hoped his wives would love him for him and not because he was the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Kill-Voldemort. And definitely _not_ because he was now the richest Lord in all of the Wizarding World.

X - X

A/N: Okay! Hi there! This is just a filler chapter! Yes, yes. I know this is super short! And I know you want more action. But I just wanted you guys to know what happened to Harry during his sixteenth birthday! I'll try to speed up the story from Chapter 3! And also, I've looked for information regarding Elves, and my goodness, there are so many! It was so confusing! I didn't know which to use so I just decided to write the generic stuff down ): If anyone wishes to help out D: please do. I thank you wholeheartedly for your assistance! R&R please (:

A/N: Please do not hate, for I cannot wrap my head around the information about the Elves. And because of the lack of information written about them in this story, I'm sure most, if not all, of my readers will frown upon this, should I bring up the Elven 'creature' inheritance later in the story. For that, I apologize! But I only wanted Harry to look like an ethereal being – completely flawless when in fact, Harry himself has a lot of flaws. So there are contradictions to his appearance and personality. But other than that, I don't believe I'll mention Harry as an elf, and if I do, it'll only be to reveal his race to others. HOWEVER, it does not mean that I will _not_ whip up some information. So I'll do my best!


	3. Chapter 3 - The Beginnings of A Division

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly,Ron,Ginny Bashing! Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

Chapter 3

~ The Beginnings of A Division ~

X - X

~ Time skip to September 1st! ~

"Harry!" Hermione cried, crushing the teen in her bone-crushing hug. Her shampoo smelled faintly of sandalwood and rosemary.

"'Mione, how are you?"

"Great! I'm so glad V-Voldemort is gone." She sighed and her body language seemed to illustrate her relief. "No need to keep looking over your shoulder anymore right?"

Harry agreed with her. "Right, but listen. There's something I've got to tell you." The raven led her to an empty compartment, having already said his goodbyes to Sirius and Remus.

He explained to her what happened during the summer. And knowing that Hermione had read those articles from the _Daily Prophet,_ all he had to do was confirm what Skeeter had written and to show her the evidence he'd gotten from Gringotts.

Hermione screamed. "I don't understand! How could Ron – well, never mind. How could Dumbledore?!" She frowned. The brunette witch had amended her statement because she knew if anything, Ron would be more likely to do so, having demonstrated his petty jealousy during their Fourth Year.

"I'm not sure, but I've received a missive from Gringotts, the Wizengamot _and_ the Ministry of Magic stating that they will carry out their trials soon. It's only a matter of time before everything is revealed and I can finally live in peace. And besides, Hermione, you _still_ have the mindset that all adults and authority are correct?"

Hermione blushed. "Well… after the Umbridge fiasco, I'm transitioning to understanding that not all adults are correct. But, when I see them – Oh! I'm so going to curse them so badly -!"

"Hermione, Hermione. It's okay." Harry said, pulling the witch back into her seat. "While it's nice of you to defend me in such a way, I rather have people looking at me badly than have you take the fall."

"We're not done with this topic yet." She swore.

"Of course."

"So when are you going to tell me about your magical inheritance?" Hermione smiled, quickly changing the topic.

Harry blanched, "I didn't think you'd notice. I'm not exactly different appearance wise."

"Oh please Harry." Hermione laughed. "I can see that you've gotten slightly paler, your eyes seem to glow more brightly, and your eyes are pointy at the tip. You've also gotten taller, more muscular and your shoulders are a lot broader. Your body is possibly at its fittest yet, since, well… you know…" she trailed off, blushing.

Harry smiled softly. "I know. I'm glad for it. It's actually gotten me back to what I'm supposed to be. Snape's been helping me as well you know; sending me nutrition potions to help."

And in a split second, his elven mind processed that fact that he had approved of Hermione's description of him and he had nearly purred at her blush.

"So you're really going to have to find seven wives?" Hermione asked; her eyes seemed to show her disappointment, but before Harry could comprehend it, the look turned into curiosity – more like _forced_ curiosity.

"Yeah, one for each of my lines. I'm supposed to have hordes of children, but I'm glad Ginny won't be one of the candidates. Just thinking about what she did to me sends me in a fit." Harry breathed deeply from his nose, the anger already dissipating.

"So…" Hermione blushed, "what do you look for in a wife?"

"I'm guessing a woman who is beautiful but subtle about it. Someone who is intelligent, but won't be a snob about it. Someone who is truthful and won't lie to me. A woman who molds perfectly to my body whenever we hug or whenever I hold her. A woman who I can protect but can also protect herself. Someone who will listen to me, talk with me, be truthful with me, and won't be afraid to speak their own mind and won't be afraid to disagree with me. A woman who will stand by my side, is trustworthy and will support me as I will support her. Someone I can love, who I can be happy with for the rest of my life." Harry mused. "Oh! And I also want a big family! I want to be able to wake up every day with a smile on my face and be thankful for the ones who made me happy. I promise to take care of my wives and their whims, but I will not tolerate spoiling them. So, someone who is level headed but has passion and is driven, I suppose."

Hermione gulped, seeing the look in Harry's eyes as he seemed to describe his perfect wife. She felt a pang of disappointment and knew her shoulders were drooping with every additional description. Who was Harry thinking of while he spoke about those specific characteristics?

"Those are great characteristics to look for in a person, Harry!" She smiled awkwardly. "Were you thinking about someone while you were describing your ideal wife?"

Harry looked at her, tilting his head to the side. "Not really Hermione, no. I was just thinking of what I would like in a person, based on my past and present experiences, my past and present wants and wishes."

Hermione felt the bubble inside her pop. She sagged in relief against the bench.

"Are you all right, Hermione? You seem to be a bit tired."

Hermione waved him off. "It's nothing Harry. I'll always stand beside you no matter what happens. I'm sure Neville and Luna will do the same."

Just as she said this, the two aforementioned teenagers opened the compartment and slide right onto the seats.

"Hello Harry. Hello Hermione." Neville greeted.

"Harry!" Luna chirped, instantly leaning against his arm. "Hermione, how were your summers?"

"Brilliant! I spent the whole summer with Sirius and Remus." Harry smiled.

Hermione eyed Luna with jealousy. The blonde Ravenclaw was so close to Harry; even closer than she was even when Hermione had been friends with Harry since their first year at Hogwarts. But looking at the two now, Hermione felt downfallen at noticing that they seemed to match; Luna's light complexion as the brightest day to Harry's darker appearance as the blackest night.

The brunette sighed before answering Luna's question, continuing the conversation.

X - X

"I'll be leaving now." Hermione notified them, "I have to join the prefect meeting. Can you believe Ronald is a Gryffindor Prefect?" She groaned, opening the compartment door.

"I can't believe Ronald was a prefect. He's neither hardworking, nor does he have good grades. He's not even a responsible person!" Neville frowned.

"No doubt Dumbledore had made him prefect in order to watch after me." Harry grumbled darkly. It seemed as if the Weasley matriarch, Dumbledore and the two youngest Weasley children were now taboo.

"We'll figure something out, Nargle King." Luna smiled.

"Well, whatever it is. Once Dumbledore's out of the way, there's no way that Ron will continue on as a Prefect. His grades are atrocious. Plus, the only way he passed _any_ class at all was because of Hermione." Harry said with conviction.

Hermione blushed at his words before leaving the compartment.

X - X

Hermione met up with them as they got to Hogsmeade Station. They got onto a carriage and shut the door before Harry realized that Ron was not among them. When asked where the redhead was, Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Lavender seems to have taken a liking to our dear Ronald. She accosted him and dragged him off to her carriage. Of course, it didn't look like he minded at all. Then again, who would ever like someone so bigoted and foolish? " Was her response before idle chatter consumed the silence.

X - X

"To all new students, welcome to Hogwarts of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To all old students, welcome back." Dumbledore announced. And that's when Harry zoned out.

Only until the Gryffindor heard the words, "Let the feast begin." did he come to, seeing the table filled to the brim with food.

Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna had taken to sitting together during the welcoming feast. Ron was down the table sitting besides Lavender. And, by the sounds of it, he was bragging about assisting Harry in getting rid of Voldemort. The four of them, including Ginny who was sitting across from Ron, was shaking their heads, knowing that the redhead was only fooling himself. In fact, Harry looked around, all the other houses, including the students from Gryffindor, were looking at Ron with disgust.

After all, they had read all about Harry defeating Voldemort by himself, while the Order members had taken the other teenagers to safety. So whom was Ron trying to impress? Lavender, however, was looking at Ron with besotted eyes, her gleam similar to that of clear and obsessive worship. Harry felt a shiver run down his spine when he thought that many of his fans would be looking at him in the same way. Hermione turned to him in curiosity, catching his shiver, but he shook his head saying everything was fine.

Whenever someone had mentioned about Harry being the one to defeat Voldemort and not Ron, the redhead Gryffindor would try a dark shade of red, either in embarrassment or anger before yelling about how they would know considering they weren't in the Ministry in the first place. When the retort was thrown back to him about Ron being nowhere near Harry and Voldemort's fight, Ron would throw a nasty glare at Harry's direction.

Harry sighed, whenever he caught one of those glares. _I guess we're not friends anymore_. Then he shook his head. _We're not friends anymore anyway. They stole from me!_

When the start-of-term feast ended, Harry was asked to head to Dumbledore's office. Crumpling the note, Harry pushed away the rest of his meal, no long feeling hungry.

X - X

"You should have some food, Harry." Neville said, seeing his friend stare hard at his empty plate.

"I'm not hungry."

"Was it that note?"

He nodded his head.

"You should take some food anyway. You'll be starving all night until breakfast tomorrow." Hermione said.

Harry filled his plate up before subtly flicking his wand over it. Deeming it untouched by potions or spells, Harry ate his food.

"Just a precaution." he said, when Hermione and Neville looked at him curiously.

When the end of the start-of-term feast ended, Harry was glad he had eaten something. His appetite had grown when he had undergone his inheritance, and even with his body up to par with that of someone who was sixteen years old (and even becoming a High Elf).

Harry waved to Hermione and Neville, kissing Luna's cheek goodbye when she came over and made his way to Dumbledore's office.

X - X

"Harry, my boy. Please seat." Dumbledore smiled, with that damned twinkle in his eyes.

And when Harry sat, the follow up question came. "Lemon drop?"

The Gryffindor declined and waited for the obvious interrogation to begin.

"My boy, the _Daily Prophet_ articles–"

"Were true." Harry quickly interrupted. "Sirius had gone through the trials and had Veritaserum used on him. I know about you performing the Fidelius Charm, enabling Peter Pettigrew to become the Secret Keeper, yet you allowed for Sirius to be taken away to Azkaban for twelve years. An innocent man, Professor." His voice grew cold and his emerald eyes took on a chilly glint.

"My boy, those were dark times –"

"Dark times indeed Professor. Which means that the Ministry should have checked thoroughly through every case. Doesn't the Ministry need every person available to stop You-Know-Who's forces?"

Dumbledore kept silent, losing his twinkle and wearing a frown on his face. "My dear boy, -"

"I am _not_ your boy, Professor. Please resist using any terms of endearment. I am only your student and nothing more. In fact, as _just_ the Headmaster of Hogwarts, there was no need, no, there should _not_ have been a need for you to decide where I was meant to go during the summers. There was no need for you to "hold onto" my father's cloak and there was no need for you to decide what I should and shouldn't do. What options I have and don't have. I don't like being controlled like a little pawn, Professor."

"Harry, what I did was for the greater good."

"What good is that if everyone started using that phrase? Does it justify murder or my time with my abusive relatives? No, Professor. It doesn't." Harry retorted.

When the silence stretched out, Harry stood up. "I believe that is all the time I have for tonight. Classes begin tomorrow and I want to be up bright and early. Good evening Professor." When he walked by the door, Harry paused and turned around.

"I would like for you to stay out of my business. And that illegal contract you've written up with Molly Weasley to have Ginny marry me, well; I'll be sure to mention that little tidbit along with my account activities to the Wizengamot during your trials. And by the way, when you address me, Lord Potter-Black should do. Goodbye."

X - X

A/N: Filler! FILLER NOW! I hope the chapter works with it. I'm going to start up the plot now. So let's get ready! R&R (:


	4. Chapter 4 - Old and New Friendships

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

Chapter 4

~ Old and New Friendship ~

X - X

"Harry, mate. Why are you sleeping over there?"

The raven haired Gryffindor had placed his luggage at the bed far away from the redhead's, signifying that he would no longer associate with the youngest Weasley son. Harry turned to the redhead before ignoring him. His actions caused Ron's temper to simmer before fully erupting. His face turned as red as his hair and his fists were clamped tightly together, as white as snow.

"Oh, so now you're too good to talk to me? Just because you defeated You-Know-Who?" Ron shouted.

Seamus and Dean looked between the two Gryffindors, slowing down their unpacking. Neville just scoffed at the redhead's bullheadedness before he continued to unpack. He knew Harry was not one to waste his energy on fighting, but if things were to happen, Neville would back him up wholeheartedly.

Ron had enough of Harry ignoring him and roughly tugged Harry's shoulder, spinning the raven around. "WELL?!" He burst out in fury.

Harry glared at the hand on his shoulder before he slapped it off. "As Lord Potter-Black-LeFey-Merlin-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Peverell, I can assume this to be an act against my person and can have you arrested. Should this turn into more than just a silly little argument coming from a intolerant idiot, I will have to act in self-defense." Harry stated, as he dusted off the area where Ron had touched him.

Ron puffed up like an angry lion. Rage clouded his thoughts and red colored his vision. He raised a fist to punch Harry, but Neville had already seen it coming and had stopped the motion.

"What Longbottom?!" Ron spat. "Acting like the guard dog you are for this pathetic excuse for a wizard?"

Neville was calm; he didn't allow Ron's anger to fuel his own simmering fury. ' _Some best friend.'_ The once-shy Gryffindor thought, looking at Weasley with disgust.

"I suggest you back off of Harry." He advised.

"Oh yeah?" Ron laughed mockingly. "Are _you_ going to stop me if I don't?" The youngest Weasley son always thought that Neville was nothing more than just a jumpy and twitchy boy that was afraid of his own shadow. Just like Quirrell, the Gryffindor would stutter in his words and startle at the slightest noise. But now, Ron was slightly wary of Neville. The wizard had grown close to his height, if not only one or two inches shorter than Ron was. And, Neville was a lot buffer and had a heavier build to his lanky body. If a fistfight were to happen, Ron was sure he would be knocked out cold.

"Yeah. I am going to stop you." Neville answered, his hazel eyes blazing with contained annoyance. After hearing from Harry about what had happened, along with reading the _Daily Prophet_ those couple of weeks after the Ministry incident, Neville had long decided to step up and support Harry with all that he had and all that he was.

"Neville, I'm fine. It's okay." said Harry.

"Yeah, listen to your master, _squib_."

Harry instantly lashed out and struck Ron across the face. Knocking the redhead down onto the floor, Harry whipped out his wand and stunned him before petrifying Ron.

"Harry, it's okay." Neville murmured, though he was glad that the Gryffindor had stood up for him, just like he had all those times in the five years at Hogwarts.

The Gryffindor shrugged his shoulders and resumed unpacking. "Well, it's better for all of us when he's unconscious."

Dean and Seamus couldn't help but release their laughter and amusement at the situation before they continued to unpack. All four of them decided to leave Ron to lie on the ground and move his things far away from them, dividing the room from four against one.

Harry was amused at the arrangement, and had drawn a line depicting the division of the dorm room between Ron and the four of them. The entrance to their dorm room had its own little division. With the help of Neville, Dean, Seamus and Lady Hogwarts – when Harry had asked as he was now two of the four Lords of the enchanted Castle, they had warded their division of the room with protection charms and spells. The room had now been divided into halves, though the small portion near the doorway was open to all five of the dorm mates. With Harry's suggestion – should Ron ever happen to make it past their protective wards on their side of the dorm – they had all warded their belongings and items and objects against any form of tampering, be it jinxes, curses, hexes or potions.

Nodding their heads, the four of them completed the spell work and drifted off to sleep, thankful that the stunned redhead was not producing any snores.

X - X

"Hi Harry." came a simpering voice.

Harry deftly ignored the person and continued with his breakfast. The rest of his friends, Hermione, Neville, and Luna, looked on with amusement in their eyes. The four of them had already compared their schedules for the rest of the term and had moved on to eating their first meal of the day.

"Hello Harry." the voice came again, as if the person thought the Gryffindor hadn't heard the first time.

"Can you leave me alone?" Harry immediately shot back.

Ginny Weasley flushed with embarrassment, but didn't let Harry's chilly attitude towards her break her down. With You-Know-Who's defeat, Harry's fame had immediately risen even more. And with the _Daily Prophet_ 's revealing of Harry being a Lord of _seven_ Noble and Most Ancient Houses, SEVEN!, she would have to step up her game to become his girlfriend and finally have him propose to become his wife. Oh, Ginny could see the salivating gazes from the female student body thrown to the oblivious Gryffindor, but she would not let those greedy, gold-diggers have _her_ Harry Potter. No, _she_ was meant to become the future Lady Potter! And she would inherit all the fame and fortune that came with it! All she had to do was persuade Harry that she was meant for him. After all, with the two of them together, they would look like the famous and deceased Potter couple before them.

"It's all right Harry. I understand you don't like the looks those vultures are giving you. We should make it known that we're dating, so they'll back off." Ginny cooed, fluttering her eyes rapidly. If she was trying to look attractive, she was failing horribly. Harry thought her eyelids were having a convulsion. The redhead glowered at the person sitting besides Harry, waited until he moved and then sat down next to her future husband. "When they know we're dating, they'll stop coming after you. I'm sure of it."

"And _why,_ in Merlin's name, would I date _you_?"

"Because we're perfect for each other! We're practically replicas of your parents! You look like your father and I look like your mother!" She draped her hand on his, feeling how smooth his skin was when her fingers ran across the back of his hand.

"So, I have some Oedipal Complex that makes _you_ and maybe every other person in the Wizarding World believe that I'd marry some girl who would look like my mother?" Harry summarized with disgust, removing his hand from hers.

Ginny nodded her head feverishly, glad that Harry had finally understood her. She retook his hand in her own, not wanting to relinquish the feel of it.

"Just so you know, the thought of having to marry you could turn me gay." Harry smiled when Ginny's jaw dropped at the confession.

"You can't be gay!" Ginny screeched. "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO MARRY ME! THE BOY-WHO-LIVED CAN'T BE GAY!"

"I never said I was gay. I just said 'the thought of having to marry _you_ could turn me gay'."

"Good, because you _can't_ be gay."

Harry rested his fork onto the table before turning to her, slapping her hand away from his own. "Is there something wrong with _being_ gay? Listen here, you conniving little bitch. You may _look_ somewhat like my mother, but you are _nothing_ like her. Anyone who says otherwise is besmirching the good name and memories of Lily Potter nee Evans. I don't know who would even fill your mind with stupid stories of me in a relationship with you, but I wouldn't date if even if you were the last female in the world. I wouldn't go close to you seeing as how you've already spread your legs for over eighty percent of the male population in Hogwarts. I'm surprised you haven't come down with a sexually transmitted disease." Harry paused and thought about it. "Actually, I think you should get yourself checked out. You might already be carrying a handful of them." He nodded his head.

Then Harry looked right in Ginny's eyes, scaring her with his glowing emeralds. "You think you're doing _me_ a favor by assuming that we're dating? I've seen my account statements, and I know what's been going on. Don't think that I'm that same naïve little boy that's been led around by the nose. If I were to date anyone in this school, I'd rather be dating Hermione or Luna than you. Honestly, I'd rather kiss Mrs. Norris before placing my lips on your nastily used hole. So pick up your stuff, pack your bags, and get the hell out of my face because, quite frankly, you're just the same as any other woman in the world who gets excited about dating a famous person - a slimy, no good, gold-digger with no regards to her dignity or chastity. I would not go near a woman who has been used like a dirty tissue rag. So please leave. You're polluted my breathing space."

Hermione flushed red at the indication that Harry would date her over Ginny. Neville and Luna's jaw dropped at the hilarious confrontation between the Weasley chit and their friend. They saw the redhead glow red with every word that came out of Harry's mouth. And when the Gryffindor table had died down during the start of their conversation, the other tables had been drawn in and their attention hooked. After Harry resumed his breakfast, the entire Great Hall had heard about what he said. Every male had nodded their heads at his truthful words and every girl had looked at Ginny like she had already been condemned as a walking virus. When the redhead fled the Great Hall, face flushed with embarrassment and eyes wet with tears, everyone had given her a wide birth, scooting further into their seats to get as far away from her as possible. Some students had even cheered and clapped their hands at the speech.

Minerva McGonagall had never seen such a dispute between her two lions. She made to march up to Harry and give him a scolding, but Severus had interrupted her action with a chuckle – one that startled and surprised the rest of the professors sitting at the table.

"The boy finally voices the truth." The Head of Slytherin muttered with a sly smirk.

"Severus!" Minerva said aghast. "How can you condone his actions?"

"How can you not?" Came the rhetorical question. "You've seen how Harry had no interest in the girl, yet she flings herself at him in desperation. The only ones that seem to be ignorant of Harry's feelings for her are Molly and the two youngest Weasley children."

"Come now, Severus." came the low and slow voice of Albus Dumbledore. "The boy will need someone to confide in as the war is now finished. Ms. Weasley would be there for him, no matter what."

Severus scoffed.

"Harry's love for Ginny will flourish. All it needs is a little time."

"Yes, if it means that her compensation would come as a form of a monetary value." Severus scoffed. "You must be blind not to see Albus. Just like you currently are."

The potions master had heard about what Albus and the other three traitors had done to Harry. Of course, when the potions master's trial had been held as he was deemed a Death Eater, the Headmaster had done nothing to help him. Only Harry Potter, the son of his most hated enemy and the son of his first most beloved friend, had stepped up and proved that Severus had done more than anyone in the Ministry and in Dumbledore's Order could ever do. Harry had stated that, without Severus's help as a spy in Voldemort's ranks, Harry could not have taken him down.

Oh, Severus saw the disappointment written in Dumbledore's eyes. But he also noted the relief in Harry's when the Wizengamot deemed him innocent. And so, from that day forth, he vowed to stand besides Harry as no one other than his godfathers, the Gryffindor know-it-all, the shy Gryffindor and the eccentric Ravenclaw, would support him.

Coming back to reality, Severus finished off his coffee before leaving the Head Table with a quick goodbye and a notice to the rest of the stunned Professors that classes would be starting soon.

X - X

"Harry, can I speak with you?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Nodding his head at Hermione and Neville, the pair left and waited outside the classroom, surprised at who they saw.

When the classroom doors closed and spelled silent, Harry looked curiously at his professor, wondering what she wanted from him.

"About this year's Quidditch season…"

Harry looked at her with those bright green eyes, slightly unnerving the witch.

"Due to your skills and leadership as well as commitment to the team and its members, I would like to offer you the position of Team Captain for the Gryffindor Team. Do you accept?"

Harry smiled beatifically. "I accept. Thank you Professor McGonagall."

"Not at all Mr. Potter," she smiled, handing him the Quidditch Captain pin. "Let us hope for another year of winning the Quidditch Cup."

Harry nodded his head with a bright smile.

"Next, might you know where Mr. Weasley is?"

Harry's eyebrows shot up past his hairline as he adopted an innocent look. But oh, she's seen that look on both his father's and godfather's face when they were her students.

"I don't know where he might be, Professor. My dorm mates and I were of the same mind to leave early for breakfast today as it was the first day of school." answered Harry.

Knowing she would not get a straight answer from the lion, she diverged onto the topic at hand.

"About this morning's … little chat with Ms. Weasley," she began.

"I meant every word of it." Harry stated, his facial expression changing from innocent to cool indifference. Oh, he knew that the Headmaster had manipulated his decisions and actions, but no longer would his thoughts and opinions be kept silent.

Seeing the defiant look in her lion's eyes, Minerva tried another approach. "Might you have gone a little less … assertive in your words towards Ms. Weasley?"

Harry immediately stood up and walked away.

"I am not finished speaking with you yet, Mr. Potter." Minerva called out, stopping her student in his tracks.

She watched as Harry ruffled through his bags, pulled out a few papers, walked back up to her table and slammed the papers down.

"It is now Lord Potter-Black-LeFey-Merlin-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Peverell, but you may call me Lord Potter-Black. And if you think what I said to Ms. Weasley was overly exaggerated, you should get all yours facts together before you defend a criminal." Harry said, before he walked away.

Minerva looked at his retreating form before putting on her glasses and sifting through the papers. After a few moments, she dropped them onto the table, summoned a house elf to give her a strong cup of brandy laced tea and placed her glasses onto her desk.

' _Oh Albus._ ' she thought, with a heavy heart.

X - X

"Hermione? Neville? I thought it was all right for you –" Harry caught sight of what his friends were staring at.

Before the trio stood Draco Malfoy with Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott. "Well, Potter. Was your morning speech true?" The blond asked, voice woven with nothing more than just curiosity.

Harry cleared his throat before he spoke. "Yes. All of what I said was true."

Draco smiled before he extended his hand. "I would like to be your friend Po – Harry. You'll learn that most families are better than others."

Harry raised his eyebrows with amusement before he smiled. Clasping Draco's hand, he shook it before did not release his grip. "Conditions if you please."

"And that would be?"

"Apologizing to Hermione for calling her _that_ name." Harry listed. "Apologizing to Neville for taking his Remembrall from first year. And for all those times you've foiled my potions during Snape's class."

Giving it a split second thought, Draco humbly apologized to the trio before him, surprising not only his friends but the two aforementioned Gryffindors as well.

"Well Draco." Harry grinned. "This could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

X - X

"In," Snape intoned, watching his Gryffindor and Slytherin students enter the potions lab in a rush. But before they could head to their seats, the potions master stopped them. "You will be receiving new seats for the rest of the year. Our _esteemed_ Headmaster wishes to enact house unity within the school, and so there will be a Slytherin-Gryffindor pairing."

Some of the Gryffindors groaned, and the Slytherins held their reactions behind their masks.

"When I call your name, you will move to your seats."

One by one, Gryffindors and Slytherins alike were called to new pairings. While some Gryffindors were wary of their new partners, the Slytherins had an impenetrable mask on; but no doubt, they didn't like what their Head of House had in store for them.

"Zabini and Weasley."

"Don't screw it up, Weasley." The scion of the Zabini family said frostily; the redheaded Gryffindor bristled at the Slytherin's tone, but intelligently held his tongue for once, seeing Snape's onyx black stare landing heavily on him.

"Nott and Longbottom."

"I'll be extra careful." Neville swore. The Gryffindor knew he was prone to accidents in Potions and was quite surprised to find that he had been able to make it into the potions class.

"Malfoy and Potter."

Both boys smirked at each other before sitting down at their seats.

"Greengrass and Granger."

Hermione happily gave her greetings, seeing the famous Ice Queen's mask chip, allowing a small upturn of her lips before her mask glazed over. As the two had been in Runes and Arithmancy since third year, they had been study partners for the last couple of years. So it wasn't surprising that the two were familiar with each other.

X - X

During lunch hour, the Great Hall was filled with murmurs. Why? Because the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter, along with his two Gryffindor friends, Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom, and a blonde Ravenclaw, Luna Lovegood, were now sitting at the Slytherin table besides a blonde wizard, Draco Malfoy, and his two Slytherin friends, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott.

The tension could be felt in the air, as the houses wondered whether or not what they were seeing was true or just a hallucination. Others were just preparing themselves for a fight should the famous duo, Harry and Draco, suddenly up and duel.

But after ten minutes of staring at the odd arrangement, no spells were thrown, no words were shot, and no glares were seen. The newly formed Gryffindor-Slytherin group was amicably chatting and eating their lunch, well aware of the stares coming from all around them.

"You'd think they'd learn to mind their own business." Harry muttered, loud enough for others to catch his drift.

Soon, everyone had looked away, though more often throwing glances and peeks towards the group.

Finally with a sigh, the group was able to relax and enjoy their lunch.

X - X

"Are you serious?" Blaise asked.

"Dead." Harry answered.

"Of course, _I_ knew they were no good in the first place." Draco said haughtily. The blonde earned a quick slap to the head from Hermione and was quickly chastised. The Slytherin was probably remembering the time he was punched in the face during third year.

"What's the matter, Draco?" Theo asked. When a quick, "Nothing." came his way, Theo lifted an eyebrow in curiosity before Harry quickly explained the blond's actions.

When the third year incident came to light, the group laughed at Draco's embarrassment, cheering on Hermione's actions on defending herself and taking the blond down a few pegs.

X - X

The teachers watched the group with morbid curiosity and slight bewilderment. They had never seen, amongst their years as either a student at Hogwarts or as an instructor to the students, the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses come together and talk pleasantly. Certainly not under Dumbledore's time as a Headmaster, considering the old man did nothing to encourage inter-house relationship between the two houses. Sure, they understood that the old wizard was trying to get everyone to be happy with one another, no matter which house the students were sorted in, but they all knew of Albus's favoritism towards the Gryffindors. Even Minerva could hardly refute the Headmaster's biased opinion.

And when they saw Harry sitting together with his friends and the Slytherins, they let out a sigh of relief when no arguments were started. Perhaps, considering the war was now over, Harry could be the role model they were looking for to jump start a better relationship between the purebloods and muggleborns.

X - X

Albus Dumbledore was silently seething. After the articles that came out regarding Cornelius's removal from office, Dumbledore would have been happy were it not for the possible candidates that wished to take up the mantle as Minister of Magic. The candidates, though not nearly as powerful as himself, were not easily manipulated nor bribed nor sent into a scared titter should Albus subtly release his hold on his magic. Then came the trial for Umbridge; it started off the questioning of his followers. Where _was_ Albus when this entire fiasco was happening? Why did he do nothing to help the students? And after the article about Dumbledore hiding the fact that Sirius was innocent, his followers had started to become more suspicious about him, his words, his thoughts and his actions. Then it came to the article where the damned brat's lineage and heritage had surfaced, revealing that he was not a politically powerful, not to mention rich and magically powerful, wizard in the entire Wizarding World and Community. Because Dumbledore had not been physically engaged in the fight between the boy and Voldemort, he could not take credit for helping the teenager out, especially considering that Ministry spectators had been at the scene of the fight.

With the boy's prestige and status known to the public, he could not make a move, knowing anything against the boy would be easily tracked back to him. Then a few weeks later, he received a missive regarding a trial for him. Albus had nearly gone on a rampage, his magic whipping widely around him. Fawkes, sensing the impending anger, had disappeared with a burst of fire, leaving the Headmaster to stew silently in his rage.

Heaving a disappointed sigh at the change in his plans, Dumbledore did not realize that he had let down his Occlumency shields, allowing a certain potions master privy of his thoughts.

X - X

After lunch was a double block of potions, one that Severus was thankful for, as his classes were probably the only place where Albus could not bother him, for fear of drawing the students' attention to his deeds.

And so, when he quickly ushered his students into the classroom with a sharp, "In!", he threw up a silence and privacy ward. He immediately caught Potter, Granger, a handful of Gryffindors and surprisingly Longbottom, who were the only ones in the lion house to actually pass their O.W.L. in potions, despite the nuance during their fifth year.

Then, he saw Weasley at the back of the classroom, eyes glaring daggers at the raven sitting in the front with his group of friends. The Gryffindor had barely scrapped by his O.W.L. with an A, but at Dumbledore's insistence that the redhead needed potions to become an Auror, Severus was forced to oblige and allow him entry into his class. _'But,'_ Severus narrowed his eyes at the lion, ' _That does not mean that I will tolerate anything less than an O in my class.'_

Sharply rapping the blackboard, Severus spelled the chalk to write down the potion the students were to brew in the class. And with a sneer and a quick, "What are you waiting for? An invitation?", the students broke off into pairs and subsequently went to gather their ingredients. Severus noticed that Potter was the last to enter and, therefore, was able to stop him in his tracks.

Before Harry could say anything, he pushed the boy back into the stock room and quickly told him of what he "saw" in the Headmaster's mind. Though Harry couldn't understand how Severus could have seen Dumbledore's thoughts when he did not look into the Headmaster's eyes, the Gryffindor was more focused on the fact that he now had some sort of evidence to prove that Dumbledore was indeed manipulating him.

Quickly returning to his potion, Harry brewed it with little disruption, now that Draco and the rest of the Slytherins did not throw any other ingredients into his cauldron.

X - X

 _Dear Padfoot and Moony,_

 _It is already just the first day of school and I've already dissolved my friendship with Ron and my tentative association? if you can call it that, with Ginny. On the night we arrived, Ron started spouting off nonsense about Neville being my guard dog, me being too good for him to talk to him and eventually he made a move to attack me. Of course, I warned him due to my new Lordship status and Neville had too. But when Neville had been called a squib by that idiot, I couldn't hold my anger in and clocked him a good one before stunning him._

 _I would have continued to give him a good thrashing if Seamus, Dean and Neville hadn't stopped me. If you want to know, he slept on the cold floor for the rest of the night. Don't scold me Moony! He had it coming!_

 _Padfoot, I don't know how our relationship will change with the Weasleys, but I hope something is done about those three. Also, with Voldemort gone, I think we should remove the Order from Grimmauld Place, don't you think? They'll think of it as a small goodbye present for having made you to house them in times of war._

 _Oh! And before I forget, I've forged a relationship with Malfoy, Zabini and Nott. They seemed really genuine about becoming friends with me and Hermione, Neville and Luna approved, albeit the former two were more reluctant to do so._

 _Also, Snape happened to hear Dumbledore's thoughts regarding the mess done towards his reputation and followers by the_ Daily Prophet _, so this is good news! No, Padfoot. You do not want to know; you'd probably be down at Hogwarts right about now should I tell you. I know you well enough. Anyway, when their trials come, which is soon – thank Merlin – I'll be able to use this as evidence against them! Severus could be my informant and with other evidence of Dumbledore's lack of protection to me and the rest of Hogwarts's students, he will finally be removed from his post and a better Headmaster can take his place._

 _Remind me to find a curse breaker to break the curse on the DADA position when Dumbledore's kicked out. You'd think after all these years as the Headmaster, he would be smart enough to fix that mess. But then again, this could also be used as evidence that he was willing to sacrifice several people just to test me on how I would fair against Voldemort before he came back and was restored to his glory._

 _Write back! I miss you both already._

 _Love,_

 _Prongs Jr._

"Remus!" Sirius shouted.

"I'm right here, Sirius." The werewolf sighed, rubbing his ears. "Are you writing back to Harry then?"

"Of course!" The animagus replied, before running off to look for a quill and parchment paper.

X - X

It wasn't surprising that the _Daily Prophet_ had found out about Harry's sexuality. Of course, the entire Hogwarts population had heard and had, no doubt, sent letters back home to their parents whom had sent letters of their own to every and any media that was available out there.

Amongst the arrival of _Daily Prophet_ owls, Hedwig arrived with a letter in her talons. Swooping down to her human, she stuck out her foot and waited until Harry untied the letter. Then she pecked him affectionately, going even further to fix his bird's nest of a hair when he fed her a few pieces of bacon. Just as soon as she had taken off, another owl flew towards Harry, dropping that familiar red envelope in front of him.

Looking down the table, Harry, Hermione, Neville and Luna saw the grinning and bruised face of Ron Weasley. Sighing at his childish attempts to ruffle him, Harry waited for the envelope to come to life.

Once he touched it, it opened up and out came a piercing screech from Molly Weasley.

" _HARRY JAMES POTTER_! I AM APPALLED! I AM SHOCKED THAT YOU WOULD THINK YOURSELF BETTER THAN MY RONALD! MY YOUNGEST SON HAD STUCK WITH YOU THROUGH THICK AND THIN AND NOW YOU THINK JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE VANQUISHED YOU-KNOW-WHO THAT EVERYONE ELSE IS LOWER THAN YOU? AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE SAID TO MY GINERVA! HOW _DARE_ YOU CALL HER A SLUT! I DEMAND AN APOLOGY FROM YOU AND COMPENSATION FOR BREAKING MY DAUGHTER'S HEART! SHE LOVED YOU HARRY POTTER AND YOU JUST CRUSHED HER FEELINGS INTO DUST! YOU HAD BETTER STRAIGHTEN OUT YOUNG MAN OR YOU ARE NO LONGER WELCOME TO THE BURROW EVER AGAIN! MY DAUGHTER IS THE BEST OF THE BEST AND SHE'S THE ONLY CHOICE THAT IS PERFECT FOR YOU! HOW DARE YOU BELIEVE THE _DAILY PROPHET'S_ WORDS OVER US?! US! THE WEASLEY FAMILY THAT HAD TAKEN YOU IN WHEN YOU HAD NOWHERE TO GO! THE FAMILY THAT HAD TAKEN CARE OF YOU EACH SUMMER WHEN YOUR PARENTS NEVER COULD! YOU BETTER NOT BELIEVE A WORD OF WHAT THAT RITA SKEETER WROTE! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I EXPECT AN APOLOGY TO BOTH MY YOUNGEST CHILDREN AND COMPENSATION! COMPENSATION HARRY JAMES POTTER! WERE YOUR PARENTS ALIVE, THEY WOULD BE SO DISAPPOINTED IN YOU!"

The letter ripped itself up and with a flick of his wand, Harry vanished the pieces. Though his face was calm, his friends new that, if anything, Harry was the son of Lily Potter, whose temper could rival that of a Hungarian Horntail.

The two Weasley siblings were grinning in triumph, as if they expected Harry to walk up to them and apologize immediately for his poor decisions and aggressive actions. However, when the raven did not make a move towards them, the two redheads frowned. Instead, Harry turned to Ron and Ginny with his wand pointed at both of them. The teachers made to step up but his voice cut off their actions.

"I, Harry James Potter, Lord Potter of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter, Lord Black of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Lord LeFey of the Noble and Most Ancient House of LeFey, Lord Merlin of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Merlin, Lord Gryffindor of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Gryffindor, Lord Slytherin of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Slytherin and Lord Peverell of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Slytherin, hereby announce a blood feud between myself and the following members of the Weasley family." His words drew louds gasps from all students, and a panicked paling from the Weasley siblings. "Molly Weasley, nee Prewett, Ronald Bilius Weasley and Ginevra Molly Weasley are now considered as an enemy to the Potter, Black, LeFey, Merlin, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Peverell family. Should any action be done upon me by the following three people, it will be considered as an act against myself, my name and the rest of my family. So I say, so mote it be." A bright golden gleam enveloped Harry whilst a dull red glow surrounded the aforementioned people in Harry's speech.

Once Harry put away his wand and sat down to continue his breakfast, all hell broke loose in the Great Hall as people rushed off to write to their parents, to the Daily Prophet and just gossip about how the Weasley family had made enemies with the great and power Savior of the Wizarding World.

Severus chuckled behind is goblet of pumpkin juice.

"What's so funny Severus?"

The Potions master placed his goblet down and faced the Transfiguration Mistress. "I find it hilarious that Molly would even think that Harry would be held down by her little fantasies of having her two youngest children within Harry's graces. Quite frankly she's gone delusional – ever since she's heard from Albus that Harry Potter should find a confidant in Mr. Weasley and should find a lover in Ms. Weasley."

"Ever since that day You-Know-Who was gone?"

"Minerva, Voldemort. The man is gone from our world. And yes, ever since that day Albus has called for an emergency meeting after Voldemort had vanished."

X - X

Remembering that he had gotten a letter from Sirius, Harry quickly opened it up once he reached his dorm room.

 _Dear Pup (and Cub),_

 _We are glad to hear that you've stopped associating with those specific Weasley members. Truth be told, we never liked them in the first place, but for you, we would do anything to make you happy, and happy you seemed to be considering you were all smiles around their big, loving and warm family._

 _Moony and I would like to apologize to you, Harry. We should have gone with our guts and told you the truth when Moony felt that the youngest two were not good for you. But having understood your situation as a kid, we did not want to keep you away from your friends; yet this happened, and we're embarrassed to call ourselves your godfathers._

 _In regards to Molly, I never liked how she treated you as one of her own, ordering you around like a slave and such, pushing her daughter onto you. It was just disgraceful, and even if she is not rich, she was brought up, supposedly, like a pureblood. So the thought and act of her throwing her daughter at you like an owner would with a dog and a bone just made me sick and want to strangle her. You don't know how much I wanted to stun her to unconsciousness so she would stop ordering me around in my own home._

There was a few cross outs in the letter before Harry recognized Remus's handwriting.

 _Cub, please ignore Padfoot's words. It was the beginning of his tantrum, and I had had to force the quill from his stiff and unyielding hands. He swears he's telling the truth about how he really feels about Mrs. Weasley, Ronald and Ginevra, but I know that deep down, he truly wanted to believe that they were really supporting you rather than being infested with thoughts about your money._

 _Whatever you wish to do in order to deal with them, you know that Padfoot and I are always behind you every step of the way. We love you Cub, always know that._

 _Write back soon! You don't know how stir-crazy Padfoot's been without you by our side._

 _Love,_

 _Padfoot and Moony_

With a smile, and a go-ahead by his godfathers' approval, Harry set about making his move.

X - X

Ronald had been given detention with Filch after Severus had caught him attempting to botch up Harry and Neville's potion. And considering the fact that the potion Severus had assigned them to do was slightly on the explosive side, the potions master stalked around the class room, his eyes flickering all around to make sure none of them would cause a massive reaction when a wrong ingredient was dumped inside the cauldron. So, it was easy for the Head of Slytherin to snatch the redhead's arm in one fell swoop, hissing insults at the boy's intelligence, and banning him from entering his class.

Once the boy left, after slamming the doors closed, Severus returned to his hovering. He bit back a sigh, knowing that the Headmaster would chide him in his actions and have him allow the Weasley boy to come back to hid class.

When the bell rang, all the vials were placed onto his desk. Harry lingered behind, and when Severus raised an eyebrow at his action, Harry quickly thanked the potions master with a smile, for helping him out before retreating to his next class.

X - X

"Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Flitwick's eighteen inch essay is due next Tuesday right?"

"Yes, so you better get started."

"I'm doing it right now."

"Good."

"You guys sound like a couple." Neville chortled from his seat besides Harry. He watched them flush, enjoying their embarrassment.

"We're friends!" Harry hissed. "Just friends!" He didn't see the disappointment in Hermione's eyes, nor did he see her frown sadly.

…..

A/N: Yay! I loved, LOVED, LOVED writing this chapter! Made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside thinking about how Harry is now stepping up to plate and making his own decisions! I hope you guys were rooting for this too! R&R (: Your thoughts and opinions are greatly valued (: Thank you so much! I hoped you enjoyed reading it! If you want, please check out my other stories as well. And I hope you enjoy them as much as you did this. Toodles!


	5. Chapter 5 - Confrontation

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing! Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

Chapter 5

~ Confrontation ~

X - X

To say the day had gone by smoothly was an understatement. The rumor mill was still going about – everything that had happened that morning had been documented, seen, heard and was still thought about within the student body population. In fact, Harry knew that the _Daily Prophet_ would get a whiff about what had occurred and tomorrow's edition would have this morning's scene plastered all over the front page.

But, no matter; Harry was glad that he had declared a blood feud on the Weasley family, more specifically, the three members _of_ that Weasley family. Now, they could not get close to him without incurring the wrath of the Potter-Black-LeFey-Merlin-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Peverell family. Of course, something had to be done about Dumbledore, but the trials would do the rest for him. Everything was falling into plan, and all he had to do the rest of the year was get study hard to get O's for his classes, take his last year at Hogwarts and get O's for his NEWT's. Because, if there was one thing that Harry wanted for his family, was that he would be able to take care of them, regardless of the amount of wealth and fame he had gotten. He wanted to be able to get the best job in order to do so, and in order to accomplish that, top grades were a requirement in his books.

X - X

"Hey," Neville nudged Harry to gain his attention, "when were you going to ask Hermione out?"

Harry sputtered before covering Neville's mouth with his hands. He looked around their area before breathing a sigh of relief. "Don't do that!"

"Why not? You clearly like her."

"So what if I do. I like you too."

Neville raised an eyebrow. "I mean like, like."

"Yeah, I guess I like, _like_ her."

"Then ask her out!"

"I said she was my friend. I think she hates me now." Then Harry had a devilish gleam in his eyes, "Like you have the courage to ask out your little crush." He teased.

Neville flushed red but surprisingly didn't stammer when he spoke. "If I ask, you'd have to ask as well."

"Deal," And they both shook on it. "But how do you think I'm going to fix up my.. mis… take…" Neville had gotten up out of his seat and walked over to the Hufflepuff table before tapping Hannah's shoulder.

"Yes, Neville?"

"Will you go out with me this Saturday?"

Hannah's eyes widened before she giggled and looked at Susan. Susan nodded her head and Hannah turned to look back at Neville. "Sure okay. Meet you by the entrance at 10?"

"I'll be there." Neville said before he walked back to his seat mechanically.

Harry helped Neville into his seat before patting him on the back. "Great job, Neville! Way to show that Gryffindor courage!"

"Now you have to ask Hermione out." Neville said with a smug smile on his face.

"Ooh." Harry sucked on his teeth. "I promised you that I would, but we never said when. Sorry. Maybe I'll ask her another time."

Neville swung his arm and Harry had to duck and jump from his seat in laughter.

"You git!" Neville laughed, watching Harry jump away. "Come back here!" The shy Gryffindor chased the Boy-Who-Lived out of the Great Hall, earning stares from curious onlookers.

X - X

The days passed by without any trouble. Harry had focused on his studies, knowing that the trials were coming soon. He couldn't help but feel giddy. But as the days passed by, Neville had begun to continuously irate him. After he had gone on a date with Hannah Abbot of Hufflepuff, he had returned to Gryffindor tower with a goofy smile on his face. Harry couldn't blame him for enjoying his time, but he still remembered Hannah as the Hufflepuff who had stopped him in the courtyard to show off her Potter Stinks! badge in support of Cedric as the legit Hogwarts Champion of the Triwizard Tournament. She had had a smug smile on her face before Harry pushed passed her. He still remembered her calling out, "Potter Stinks!" along with the couple of Hufflepuffs who were standing around her.

But no matter, as long as Neville enjoyed his date, Harry was fine with it. And as long as she didn't hurt Neville, Harry wouldn't have to lift a finger in retaliation. After all, Neville was Harry's godbrother. After finding out that Neville's mother was his godmother, they had set aside a date in the summer before sixth year to talk things out. And that's the day where things turned around for good for Neville as the Gryffindor had gotten more courageous and had told his Gran that he would be going to Ollivanders to retrieve his own wand.

With his new wand, Neville had made a drastic improvement in his spell work during Transfiguration and Charms. With his newfound courage, Neville had made fewer mistakes in Potions, even with Professor Snape hovering over his shoulder. But with his newfound courage, Neville kept pressing Harry to ask Hermione out on a date – which is the situation he currently found himself in.

"Come on Harry, there she is!"

"She's studying Neville, shh!"

"It'll only be just five minutes!"

"And she'll probably take it as a point off her grade!"

"She always gets O's!"

"Neville! We're prepping for our N.E.W.T.s year!"

"That's next year," Neville said, "Stop making excuses!"

"I'm leaving!" Harry retorted, picking his books up and stuffing them into his bag.

"Harry! Wait!" Neville withheld a chuckle at the murderous look Harry threw him before he turned to see Hermione watch Harry leave the Gryffindor Common Room.

' _Harry's so stupid_.' He sighed.

X - X

"All right, now. For those of you who aren't here for the Gryffindor tryouts, I suggest you leave." Harry ordered. His voice rang out through the Quidditch pitch but was sadly ignored in favor of the boys who were tumbling around and chatting with each other.

"Quiet!" Ginny shouted. It was the only time Harry would be thankful for having her on the team – or anywhere near her in fact.

"Right. Thank you," He ignored her fluttering eyes and focused on the potential candidates before him. "Now, there are several open spots on the team: Beaters, two Chasers and lastly Keeper. For those of you who are not applying for beaters, please head to the benches. I will call for them soon…"

After the tryouts, Ginny Weasley and Demelza Robins became Chasers along with fellow female teammate Katie Bell. Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote became Beaters and lastly, Cormac McLaggen had become Keeper, much to Harry's dismay. ' _Well, better than dealing with Weasley all the time,_ ' Harry thought. Nonetheless, results were results, and considering McLaggen had caught all five quaffles, whilst Weasley stumbled on his last one, the redhead became the reserve Keeper.

X - X

"You should have given me the spot!" Ron spat once he'd caught up to the brunette, just outside of the Great Hall. It was only a couple of minutes before lunch hour and there were handfuls of students trickling into the dining hall, all of which stopped shortly to watch the confrontation.

"And why should I? McLaggen caught all of the quaffles."

"So? I did too!"

"And that makes you automatically become the Keeper? If you hadn't noticed, you fumbled on your last shot."

Ron's face flushed red when he remembered that moment, "Better me than that slimy git! Or have you forgotten that I need to be _on_ the team to actually get a shot at becoming a Quidditch player?"

"Considering you've _stumbled_ on the last shot, suffice to say, I'm sure if it were an actual tryout for any league players, you'd be cut." Harry said, walking around the lanky teen. "Besides, just because I _know_ of your aspirations to become a Quidditch player doesn't mean that I will take it into account. We're not friends anymore Weasley. And I want Gryffindor to win our fourth Quidditch Cup just as badly as any other house does. Therefore, results are the key and. You. Don't. Show. Any. Now, if you will excuse me, I'm quite parched."

Harry entered the Great Hall and sat besides Hermione, across from Neville, leaving Weasley to stew in his anger.

"You know how much he wanted that spot," came Hermione's first words when Harry sat down.

"Yes, but frankly I don't care. If he thinks that he can get a spot just because he's told me of his life long dream to become a player for the Chudley Cannons, then Weasley's sorely mistaken. Pass some of that will you, Neville?" Harry said, gesturing to the pile on Neville's far left. "Thanks mate." He ignored the moment when Neville nudged his foot and gestured to Hermione with his eyes. He wasn't going to ask her yet! Not when he didn't know of her feelings to him! It could wreck his relationship with her.

"Yes, but he needs to actually play in some games to become a candidate, if not be thought of to become a player," Hermione persisted. She scooped some food into her mouth before turning to him.

"I'm not going to babysit him and coddle him just because he doesn't get to play in the next game. Besides, he's _on_ the team isn't he? He's just a reserve player is all. Right, Neville?"

The boy nodded his head at Harry's exclamation. "There! See! Even Neville agrees with me. And anyway, aren't you defending him too much?" Harry frowned.

"I'm not defending him," Hermione muttered before turning back to her meal. "I just don't want you boys to fight. You know how jealous he gets Harry."

"Yeah, and I'm sure I'll forget all about the first task incident two years ago."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, shook her head and ignored Harry for the rest of the meal. Neville frowned at Harry and tried to, wordlessly, get him to apologize to her. But Harry's eyes looked back at him as if to say, 'I didn't do anything wrong! Why should I apologize?'

Neville sighed and nudged him once more before Harry took a deep breath to face the witch besides him.

"I'm sorry Hermione."

"I don't need an apology from someone who doesn't actually mean it," came the reply.

Harry turned Hermione in her seat and lifted her chin up to face him. "I truly am sorry. I know how Weasley gets when he's jealous and I know my actions speak for themselves when I believe choosing McLaggen instead of Weasley was completely and utterly non-biased. I don't play favorites, Hermione. Not in Quidditch. But I am truly, _truly_ sorry for making you upset."

Hermione looked straight into Harry's eyes and scrutinized him, all the while feeling a fluttering in her stomach the longer Harry kept her chin lifted with his finger. "Okay, I forgive you. But mark my words Harry, you have to watch out now. I think he's going to out to get you."

X - X

As Harry hung around Hermione more and more often, the two began to develop a closer relationship than that of best friends or siblings. Their deep bond to each other drew them closer together, yet both were afraid of what would happen if revealing their feelings were to backfire in their face. And so, they spent the next few weeks tiptoeing around one another, though their small intimate gestures did nothing more than to confuse one another, yet at the same time, strengthen their resolve to do something about their feelings.

Another good thing about Harry hanging around Hermione, was the fact that his grades were improving. He had joined in her little study group during their free periods and was shocked to see a litter of students from each house; even Slytherin.

"Everyone," Hermione introduced, drawing her group's attention, "Harry has come to join us in our study group. Harry, that's Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff, Terry Boot, Sue Li and Padma Patil from Ravenclaw, Lavender and Neville from Gryffindor and Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis from Slytherin."

"Hi," Harry waved awkwardly before moving to take the empty seat between Daphne and Neville. "What are you lot studying today?"

"We're going over Runes. Our assignment was to create a series of Runes to better enhance a defensive spell."

Harry nodded his head and opened his own Ancient Runes textbook. The Gryffindor had exchanged Care of Magical Creatures and Divination for Study of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, both of which he thought would be better suited for whatever career he would apply to. If anything, Harry was self-studying for CoMC; he didn't think he could handle another year of Professor Trelawney "predicting" his death – even after he had defeated Voldemort. Merlin forbid that he would die from falling down the stairs or some sort.

"So, how about we pair the runes… "

X - X

"Harry James Potter!" A shrill shriek called out to him.

He, Hermione, Neville and the two Slytherin girls, Daphne and Tracey were walking towards the Great Hall on his way to lunch. They had split up from the Ravenclaws and had been conversing about Runes and the like. The chat had switched from schoolwork to a talk of mundane things. And it was after Harry had laughed at Daphne's thoughts of the opinion of the ex-Minister that the penetrating call of a female voice had brought his attention from their conversation.

"That's _Lord_ Hadrian James Potter-Black to you, Miss Weasley," droned Harry. "And what is it that you need from me?"

"I demand compensation for breaking my heart! For making me believe that we were going to be married and have a family together!" Ginny screeched. She was standing in the middle of the corridor with her hands crossed over her chest. Her face had a triumphant look on it, yet it only made her all the more disgusting in their audience's eyes.

"I think I'll have fifty thousand galleons as compensation! If you won't hand the money over, then I expect you to get on one knee and apologize! Afterwards, you can promise me a date to Hogsmeade this Saturday! Those will be the first steps you should take to gain my forgiveness." She moved one arm to place her fist on her hips and the remaining arm was outstretched, with a finger pointed directly at the spot before her as if that was where Harry would be kneeling when he begged for her exoneration.

Harry stood there, shocked and appalled at the redhead's audacity to even _think_ that Harry owed her _anything_. If _anything_ , it should be the redhead's mother's fault for filling her daughter's mind with lies and deceit. The audience that had gathered around them looked at Ginny; their expressions caught between shock, horror, amusement and full-blown laughter.

A few seconds passed and Harry started chuckling. His chuckles became laughter and ended in guffaws as he roared with hilarity. Seeing the flush on Ginny's face brought about another round of chortling, eliciting snorts of amusement and uncontained laughter from their audience before everyone held back, sighed and promptly wiped away their tears of mirth.

"Oh Ginevra," Harry sighed. "Ginevra, Ginevra, Ginevra. Your idiocy astounds me. Though it might be from your lack of aptitude to even comprehend the notion of what a blood feud is between the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter and the… _certain_ members of the Noble House of Weasley. For your information, the blood feud, between three of your family members and I, is no mere childish tantrum. It has resulted from Molly Weasley, your mother's incapacity to look beyond what Mister Dumbledore preaches, as she could see the sun from up his arse. It has resulted from Ronald Bilius Weasley, your brother's shoddy conduct of manners, table-wise or etiquette, his insistent belief that becoming famous and having fortune is worth more value than that of one's own accomplishments through hard work and strenuous practice and training, his incompetent never ending jealousy to those who have more than himself and his own assertion that he should not have to work a day in his life should he become the Savior of the Wizarding World's _best friend_."

His eyes narrowed at Ginny and she took a step back at its contained fury and rage. "Lastly, the blood feud has resulted from _your_ delusional and deranged fantasies of marrying _said_ Savior of the Wizarding World, _your_ repugnant ambitions of becoming Mrs. Potter and _your_ obnoxious behavior to push away anyone that wishes to become close to me in any way or form whatsoever. Thusly, in summary, the actions that the three of you have taken have formed, what is now, a blood feud between yourselves and the Potter family. I only furthered along and cemented the blood feud through the use of magic and publicizing it. Do not think that it will be forgive so easily. I hate people who believe they can ride others' coattails to get to where they want, but I loathe the idea of people using and lying to me even more. I believe you understand what a blood feud entails?"

And with a predatory grin on his face, Harry answered his rhetorical question, "I, by magic's right, am _allowed_ to kill you if need be. To kill all three of you, if I so _wished_ and no one can stop me. If you dare speak to me in this sort of way as if you had a God given _right_ to do so," Harry spat, "You will wish you hadn't."

"Harry, calm down," Daphne put a hand on his bicep. Harry turned to look at the blonde besides him. "Forget about her. She is nothing to you anymore."

"Daphne's right," Tracey nodded, and Harry's head swiveled to look at the brunette. "Let's go get some lunch. I'm starved."

"Besides," Daphne said, narrowing her eyes at her best friend's attempt to remind Harry that it was lunch time, "You didn't tell me what you thought of Fudge's feeble attempts to stay on as Minister of Magic."

That brought Harry out of his angry stupor and with a smile, he engaged Daphne in an in depth conversation about what Cornelius Fudge had done wrong during his years as Minister.

The crowd left a sniffling redhead in the corridors, laughing at her whenever they passed her by. Apparently a majority of the student body had heard of Harry's public dressing down and with the audience spreading the news to every ear available, the entirety of the school had heard about Ginny Weasley's stupid and suicidal attempt to control a Lord of seven affluent houses.

…..

"What the bloody hell did you do that for?" Ron roared as he stomped into the Gryffindor common room.

Harry looked up from his homework and placed his quill back into its ink box.

"Harry, don't…" Hermione warned, but the Gryffindor ignored her.

"I'm sorry. Which action have I done to anger you, Mister Weasley?"

"Don't act stupid!" The redhead screamed, "I heard what you said to my little sister! The entire school heard what you said to her!"

Harry looked at him with an expression of faux-shock, "Well, I would think so. I gathered there were many students during out confrontation. It is not my fault if you believe it to be so. Your precious little sister thought it clever to accost me in the corridor just before lunch in the Great Hall. And of course, being the gentleman that I am, I do not ignore any or all statements spoken at me. I rectified her behavior and pointed out the wrongs she, your mother and yourself had committed as she sought restitutions for forming the blood feud in the first place. However, I have no idea why she had done so in such a public area. Therefore, the dispute between the two of us has only left her with a reputation far more shredded than it had been during our first encounter."

With each word that left Harry's mouth, Ron's vision bled red with wrath. He shot spell after spell at Harry, uncaring that there were still students within the room. But of course, Harry had known that the redhead was easily riled up and so had warned Hermione beforehand, to shield the students and usher them to their dormitories before the first spell left Weasley's wand.

" _Reducto_! _Bombarda_!" Ron roared, his eyes solely focused on Harry's moving figure, " _Confringo_!"

Harry weaved between the furniture, ducking behind the settee, popped his head up and ducked back down when another spell had come flying towards his head.

In Ron's acrimony, he sent an Entrail-Expelling Curse at Harry, hoping to catch the Gryffindor, but it was not happening. " _Incendio_! _Incendio_! _Incendio_!" Ron bellowed and all his spells hit the wall's tapestries and the books and parchment paper littered on empty tables. Those that were hit were alight with roaring fire.

Seeing that he had not even given Harry a single cut, Ron snarled and started throwing every curse in his arsenal. Harry, on the other hand, was ignoring the gasps of horror coming from above the balcony that split between the Gryffindor boys' and girls' dormitories. The emerald-eyed teenager quickly doused the rising flames with quick successions of, " _Aguamenti."_

After a couple of more spells, much darker than Harry had anticipated, the spell-fire had stopped. Harry was behind a strong and protected, "Protego" whilst Ron was hunched over, trying to catch his breath.

"If you go any further than this," Harry warned in a dark tone, "There will be repercussions of your actions. Not only did you fail to acknowledge the rest of the Gryffindor house in your rage, but you also put them at harm and at risk of injury for all those near dark spells you've cast. If you continue, I will be forced to take action as Lord Gryffindor of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Gryffindor. This is your last chance to cease and desist."

The crackling fire in the fireplace cast shadows across Harry's fringe, illuminating his already striking Avada green eyes. It actually made his gaze all the more frightening to the Gryffindor house. There was some noise at the Common Room's entrance. Harry thought it must've been some students who frantically threw up some protective shields when they were in the line of fire, but Harry took no heed. He kept his eyes solely on Ron and his wand, waiting for the slightest twitch to allow him the right, as part Founder of Hogwarts, to detain the sixth year.

Ron stood back and had his wand pointed at Harry, "Cruc-"

Harry just waved a hand towards Ron and had him silenced, bound and his wand removed from his hand.

"I, Hadrian James Potter-Black, Lord Gryffindor of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Gryffindor, hereby claim Ronald Bilius Weasley as a destructive entity in Hogwarts' sacred grounds. As such, Professor Minerva McGonagall will act as a disciplinary abider while I deem the punishment fit to the actions of the criminal at hand. So I say, So mote it be." A light flashed and Professor McGonagall was standing in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room.

"W-What! Mister Potter! What is the meaning of this?"

"Professor McGonagall. You will call me Lord Potter-Black or Lord Gryffindor. As Lord Gryffindor and Lord Slytherin, each of which entitles me to ¼th of the castle, totaling to ½ of Hogwarts, it is my right to call into punitive actions for one Ronald Bilius Weasley. His actions have risked the lives of the students in the Common Room and those upon entering the Common Room. His spells have leaned on more dangerous qualities, yet I have done nothing than protect those around me. He was about to cast the Cruciatus Curse at me, but as Founder's Heir, it was within my right to detain him before he could harm anyone any further. As such, I demand full retributions for his thoughtless actions. While he might have felt fury towards me, Weasley should have taken this somewhere else where no one would get hurt. But he did not. So judge now, Professor McGonagall, what say you?"

Professor McGonagall looked around the Common Room. She saw the burnt tapestries and parchment paper. She saw the charred bits of furniture and spell marks littered all across the Common Room. She saw Hermione Granger at the very top of the balcony with her wand in hand, no doubt protecting the younger students. And she saw the students by the Common Room entrance with their wands up, undoubtedly protecting themselves from fury-thrown spells.

"Are there any students whom have been injured during this dispute? If so, please head to the infirmary and have Madam Pomfrey look over you." A couple of students from the entrance way rushed out of the room and the door closed behind them. "Now, if I can have the full memory of what happened and other evidence pertaining to the event, please give me the information before I decide on the punishment."

One by one, the students spoke their perspective on what had occurred. They had said that Harry and Hermione were by the fireplace, doing their own work when Ron had barged in and started screaming at Harry. Harry had kept calm and spoke to him in return, pushing Hermione behind him before silently ushering her to move away. Then that's when Hermione had ushered all the Gryffindors up the dormitory staircase and to the balcony before the redhead had started throwing spells.

Each of their anecdotes was similar with a few details different here and there. Nonetheless, the general idea was notified: Ron Weasley attacked Harry Potter and Harry Potter did not return fire. Only until Ron had attempted the Cruciatus Curse did Harry bind the redhead, silence him and remove the wand from his person.

"Mister Weasley, one hundred points will be taken away for attacking a fellow lion, fifty points will be taken for attacking a defenseless student and seventy points for the attempt of the Cruciatus Curse. You are stripped from your status as Gryffindor Prefect. I will _personally_ make sure that your parents will be notified of this event. The Headmaster will be notified, as will the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. As such, your wand will be kept with me as evidence and you will be given a month's detention for you serious lack of judgment."

The Transfiguration Mistress took Ron's wand and with a, " _Prior Incantatem"_ , shifted through the list of spells that the redhead had cast. With a frown she levitated the struggling redhead behind her as she walked towards the Common Room's entrance.

"Professor McGonagall," Harry spoke up, stopping the Transfiguration professor from her walk.

"What is it, Lord Gryffindor?"

"If I may," Her lion continued, "I would also notify the Head of the DMLE about tonight's event. I also expect myself to be written down as a witness to the account should it be brought up on further charges. Therefore, I hope you won't mind if I ask for you to write up another report for me as well."

"Not at all, Lord Gryffindor." Professor McGonagall said with pursed lips and she took her floating bundle out with her. She sat him down before the portrait and warded the entrance before warning the Fat Lady that Weasley was not to enter the dormitories until the case had been written up. Then, with clear dismissal to her lions, their Head of House left the premises.

…..

"Minerva… the boy was merely playing a prank –"

"A prank?!" Minerva shouted, "I've reviewed the spells he's thrown at Lord Potter-Black! I can tell you for certain, Albus, it was _not_ a prank. If it was, it was horribly done in a way that would have injured all students currently in the common room at the time and the students who were entering during that time."

"Come now Minerva. I think his punishment was fair. There's no need to bring Amelia into this little mishap."

"M-M-MISHAP?!" Minerva grilled Dumbledore, "I'll have you know. Before sending you a notice, I've written all of them before having them sent out. That's right Albus," She smiled in a smug fashion, "All letters pertaining to Mister Weasley's incorrigible and appalling actions have been sent to his parents, the Head of the DMLE, yourself and even to our victim, Lord Potter-Black."

"You have created a black mark on his record, Minerva," Dumbledore reprimanded, adopting a disappointed grandfatherly expression on his face.

Minerva sniffled, got up from her seat and walked to the door. She opened it and spoke, "Better his records than sending home charred and burnt students whose parents will have undoubtedly torn you to pieces. Mind you Albus, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire school has heard about this incident by tomorrow. I expect you'll be receiving several letters of complaints as well as fuming howlers." She ended her monotone tirade with a closed door behind her.

…..

As presumed by the Transfiguration Mistress, hordes of owls had flocked to the Headmaster, fifteen minutes upon the beginning of breakfast. Within these messages, there were the distinctive, angry, red howlers. And because Dumbledore couldn't banish the letters from his presence, the howlers began to smoke and they ruptured before smothering the old wizard with loud and furious bellows.

"HOW DARE YOU ALBUS DUMBLEDORE –"

"WHY WOULD YOU KEEP A CLEARLY DISTRESSED BOY IN SCHOOL?"

"REMOVE HIM AT ONCE FROM THE PREMISES!"

"SUSPEND HIM!"

"EXPELL HIM!"

"HOW DARE HE ATTACK HARRY POTTER!"

The voices echoed loudly through the Great Hall and the students laughed and laughed when the Headmaster could not do anything but sit there and take the heat. Finally the last of the howlers erupted and it was a voice everyone knew.

"ALBUS DUMBLEDORE! HOW COULD YOU ALLOW MINERVA TO PUNISH MY BABY BOY LIKE THAT?! MY RONNIEKINS HAS DONE NOTHING WRONG! IF YOU HAVE ONE LICK OF SENSE, YOU'LL HEAD STRAIGHT TO THE HEAD OF THE DMLE AND RIGHT THIS ATROCITY! I'LL NOT HAVE A BLACK MARK ON MY SON'S RECORDS! AND MINERVA MCGONAGALL! HOW DARE YOU STRIP MY BOY'S PREFECT STATUS! HE HAS EARNED THE RIGHT TO IT! AND HE WILL FOLLOW IN PERCY'S FOOTSTEPS TO BECOME A HEAD BOY! HOW IS HE GOING TO DO SO IF HE IS NOT A PREFECT?! AS SUCH, THE BOTH OF YOU HAVE RUINED HIS CHANCES OF WORKING IN THE MINISTRY! I HOPE YOU ARE HAPPY WITH YOURSELVES! HOW DARE YOU RUIN HIS CHANCES? HOW DARE YOU STRIP HIM OF WHAT HE DESERVES! YOU HAD BEST FIX THIS MESS OR I'LL COME UP TO HOGWARTS AND DRESS THE BOTH OF YOU DOWN! FIX IT THIS INSTANT!"

"Minerva –"

"Hold. Your. Tongue." Minerva hissed, and when she looked up at Albus, the Headmaster could see that her eyes had turned into narrow slits like that of a cat. "My decision is final. I will not go to the DMLE. I will not return his Prefect status because Mister Weasley has _forgone_ his duties and his academia is _not_ on par with what is required for sixth years! I do _not_ care if Molly enters the castle as _you_ the Headmaster of the school will be the one to deal with this so-called mess."

The students watched as their Transfiguration Professor verbally shot the Headmaster down and tore him a new one before exiting the Great Hall. The letters, however, continued to pile up higher and higher. Knowing that he would not be able to eat his breakfast in peace, not with all the students witnessing the occurrence and would definitely write home about the affair, Dumbledore left the Great Hall, followed by the still, incoming owls. Even the letters that had been dropped off had upped and followed after him in an orderly fashion. The student laughed even harder at this scene. They knew that Albus Dumbledore could not and would not be able to escape his fate.

…..

Like the Weasley matriarch promised, with another letter sent home by her 'Ronniekins', Molly Weasley stormed Hogwarts Castle and threw the Great Hall doors open.

"ALBUS DUMBLEDORE!" Molly's shrill voice tore through the Great Hall as she stalked up to the Headmaster. "WHERE IS MY RONNIEKINS' PREFECT BADGE? AND DON'T THINK THAT MY DAUGHTER HASN'T WRITTEN TO ME ABOUT HOW HARRY POTTER HAS RUINED HIS CHANCES WITH MY LITTLE GINNY!"

"Molly, if you would please calm down –"

"CALM DOWN?!" Molly shrieked once more, "CALM DOWN? I WILL CALM DOWN AFTER HARRY POTTER GIVES A FORMAL APOLOGY TO MY CHILDREN! DO NOT THINK THAT I DON'T KNOW IT WAS HE WHO HAVE RUINED MY CHILDREN'S LIFE AND FUTURE! AS RETRIBUTION, HARRY JAMES POTTER NEEDS TO KNOW HIS PLACE! I WILL NOT HAVE HIM BESMIRCHING MY CHILDREN'S CHANCES OF HAPPINESS!"

Albus sighed and removed his half-crescent spectacles. He rubbed at his eyes and put them on again. "How do you expect me to do so when all the evidence is against your children, Molly?"

"Your _son_ almost charred the entire Gryffindor Common Room. It was the fast reflexes and well thought out plan that Mister Potter, Miss Granger and a couple of students whom had entered at the moment, were able to prevent any _more_ casualties that already accrued. Your son will have a hearing about this Molly." Minerva narrowed her eyes, "Do not think for one second that your son is innocent in this mess. Have you heard it from others' perspective rather than solely your son's? No? I suppose you wouldn't. Now, you are lucky Mister Weasley was not expulsed. As it was, Lord Gryffindor felt that my punishment was just. This however, does not include the punishments that other parents will call for your blood and would definitely demand upon hearing what a _lenient_ penalty I, as Head of Gryffindor House, has doled out."

"ARE YOU THREATENING ME MINERVA?"

"I. Most. Certainly. Am." The Transfiguration Professor hissed. The students were taken aback by the anger marring their professor's face. Even the professors at the Head table and even Molly Weasley herself, was shocked. The redheaded matriarch had taken a few steps back before resolving herself to give Minerva a look of derision before turning to look at Albus, having lost the battle with the cat animagus.

"Albus. You right this wrong right now! This instant!"

"Molly, I cannot –"

"You. Will! And I will stand here and wait until you do!"

Dumbledore, disliking how the matriarch was undermining his authority, narrowed his eyes at her. "Molly, perhaps my office would be a better –"

"Here! Now! Go!" Molly's clipped responses sent the professors pursing their lips. Even the students stared at her with disgust.

Harry, unwilling to wait until the moment was over, stood up. "I, Hadrian James Potter, Lord Gryffindor and Lord Slytherin of Hogwarts, hereby banish Molly Weasley to the outskirts of Hogsmeade."

"I, Neville Francis Longbottom, Lord Hufflepuff of Hogwarts, hereby banish Molly Weasley to the outskirts of Hogsmeade."

"I, Luna Pandora Lovegood, Lady Ravenclaw of Hogwarts, hereby banish Molly Weasley to the outskirts of Hogsmeade."

With a collective, "So I say. So mote it be," the redheaded matriarch disappeared from the Great Hall, her sudden disappearance cutting through her imminent rant.

Turning to look at his friends, Harry smiled. "So… Lord Hufflepuff and Lady Ravenclaw huh?" A broad grin and a tinkling of giggles was his only answer.

…..

" _When_ were you going to tell me?!" Harry demanded, dropping his books on the table. The school was still abuzz about how Neville Longbottom, Heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom, was now also Lord Hufflepuff of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Hufflepuff, and how Luna Lovegood, Heiress to the Most Noble House of Lovegood was now Lady Ravenclaw of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Ravenclaw.

Madam Pince looked over and shushed him. Properly cowed, Harry apologized and sat down. He repeated his question in a low whisper; loud enough for the study group to hear it but soft enough that Madam Pince wouldn't walk over and send him away.

"We were going to tell you," Neville began.

"But we thought we'd surprise you instead," giggled Luna.

"Well, you certainly surprised me." Hermione grumbled. She still didn't like it when she didn't know things.

"I was surprised, but then again Luna's acquired Rowena's magick of Mage Sight," Daphne replied. "She's even got… _it_." She whispered, careful that it was only the members of the study group who heard her. Of course, they all knew what _it_ was. _It_ was their way of saying or mentioning Luna's seer like ability. Her Mage Sight allowed her to see witches and wizards' auras as well as the magical creatures only she could see.

"Neville's got Helena's trait of being loyal and being a hard worker," Hermione guessed. "Lord Hufflepuff fits him perfectly. The both of you are actually the perfect image for the Founders' heir."

"Thanks Hermione," Neville grinned, pulling out a textbook.

"Well I will continue to press this issue until I receive an apology," Harry grumbled.

Daphne grinned, "How about, in Neville and Luna's steed, I ask one of the house elves to sneak you a couple of treacle tarts? Away from Madam Pince's eyes?"

Harry's eyes brightened, "Done! Deal!"

"Harry!" Hermione scowled, "No eating in the library."

"I'll be careful!" Harry promised, "I won't drop any crumbs or anything."

Hermione huffed, "You had better not. Madam Pince would kill you. And you, Daphne! Don't bribe him with food!"

"A Slytherin gets what they want one way or another."

Huffing at her study group, Hermione quickly changed the subject, "Now, in Arithmancy…"

…..

A/N: Cool! So finished this chapter on RIGHT AS IT HIT NEAR YEAR'S! HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE! For my New Year's Resolution, I hope everyone, including my family and myself, will have wondrous health! I hope everyone lives their life day to day and are happy with it! Thank you for following and reading my stories. If not for you, my wonderful readers, I'd just be a lonely writer spitting off chapters for no reason. Haha! Just kidding (: I love you all! Thank you for your support!


	6. Down With Dumbledore

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing! Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

Chapter 6

~ Down With Dumbledore ~

~ Time skip to October 28th ~

It was on a Tuesday that October 28th fell on. And Harry was brimming with excitement. When asked why, the Gryffindor would just smirk slyly with a twinkle in his eyes.

Over the past two months, Gryffindor had showed their support by ignoring the two Weasley siblings in favor of becoming Harry's friend. In fact, the truth had come out that once Ron had become Harry's friend back in first year, he had warned off everyone else who had wanted to become his friend. Ron could not ward off Hermione, considering he didn't want her to hold the Troll incident above his head in favor of getting Harry's attention, so he settled with her as a part in the Golden Duo, thereby changing it into the Golden Trio. But, it didn't matter to Harry now because he now had friends, and more specifically housemates, that supported him and watched his back and informed him of what Ron and Ginny would be planning behind his back. And with the extra tipoffs, Professor McGonagall, or any other professor that "happened" to be at that exact moment when either one of the two Weasley siblings would harass Harry or his friends, would sentence the two redheads with detention.

Secondly, Harry had forged a stronger and concrete friendship with Draco, Blaise and Theo. And with that companionship came the subtle support of the Slytherin house. The article written by Rita Skeeter about the Ministry incident with Voldemort had gotten Harry support from the Hufflepuffs, as they apologized for not believing in him when he said that Voldemort had returned during the Triwizard Tournament fourth year. That, and the fact that they thought Harry had left Cedric to die, or was the cause of Cedric's death in the tournament. As for support from the Ravenclaws, Luna was able to assist in that aspect. She had taken down the Ravenclaw bullies consisting of Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecombe, both girls who were well known in Ravenclaw, to bully and speak poorly of other girls younger than them. Once Cho and Marietta were subdued, the Ravenclaws became much more loyal to Luna and return their loyalty was shown to Harry as well.

As Hermione, Neville and Luna were the "main supporters" of Harry's small but loyal group of friends, in Ron and Ginny's eyes, they were also accosted just as often, if not, even more often than Harry was.

There had been an incident, about a month ago, near the end of September and near the beginning of October, where Neville had been hit with the Jelly-Legs Curse just as he reached the top of a staircase and had lifted a foot to walk down the steps. He had paused in his steps when the stairs had begun changing, but the Jelly-Legs Curse had sent the Gryffindor pitching forward. Neville had taken a tumble, but a passing group of Ravenclaws saw that the Gryffindor was more at danger, considering he had only fallen a few steps down the staircase. Two of them immediately put a cushioning charm on the steps and one of them casted, " _Mobilicorpus_ ", effectively levitating Neville off the stairs. Three of them had caught the flash of red hair while the last one ran to find the nearest professor, which happened to be Professor Snape.

The potions master instantly honed in on the culprit and sent Ron to Dumbledore's office. When Dumbledore had said it was merely a failed prank, it incensed Severus that the Headmaster would still cover for the boy and had supported his decided slap-on-the-wrist punishment. Albus had taken off twenty points and gave Mr. Weasley detention on Friday. Of course, Severus had let it slide for now, walking behind the Weasley boy when they had been dismissed from Dumbledore's office. But when it was just the two of them in the hallway, Severus had immediately swooped down on the redhead, giving him an addition punishment: one hundred and fifty points off and Ron had two weeks of detention. The follow-up punishment, coming from Augusta Longbottom – Neville's Grandmother – whom had gotten a floo call from Severus. The Longbottom dowager had gone into a fury at the Headmaster's light judgment. She immediately flooed to Dumbledore's office, dressed him down in first, an raging tone which leaked through even Dumbledore's strongest silencing charm around his office and tapered off into a calm and chilly tone, which subtly stated that her lawyers would hear about this little incident.

The Headmaster sat frozen in his seat, while Augusta flooed home. The portraits of past Headmasters had chuckled at Dumbledore's gobsmacked expression, going even further to gossip about it amongst the rest of the portraits in Hogwarts. Soon, within an hour or so, everyone had learned about what had happened to a missing Neville. And for the past week, everyone had been sneakily pranking Ron with everything that they could; the teachers would turn their heads, albeit reluctantly. When Severus arrived at the infirmary to hand the potions for Neville's recovery over to Madam Pomfrey, Harry, Hermione and Luna had been there. Harry had graciously thanked Severus for helping his friend and for assisting in telling Augusta about the incident. The Gryffindor knew that Dumbledore wouldn't have notified her; Severus, of course, looked at Harry as if the Gryffindor should have known he would be sending Neville's guardian a report about what had happened. And he left the quartet in the infirmary – not noticing that Harry had gotten a glimpse of the small twitch at the corner of his mouth.

There was another incident that happened to Hermione, which Harry would never forget. It had happened a little over a week ago. He had just stepped down the steps from the boy's dormitories when he heard the argument.

Ron had been on Hermione's case ever since the beginning of the school year. It seems, as if, he didn't understand that Hermione stopped talking to him. He still believed that of all the glory during Voldemort's defeat, he had gotten the most of it because he was the Savior of the Wizarding World's best friend. But after weeks of having Hermione ignore him, he finally cornered her at the common room where she was studying.

After calling her name out countless times, he flushed red with simmering anger. But at Lavender's encouragement, his girlfriend of over a month, he started talking to her as if Hermione had been paying attention all along. Of course, this drew the interest of the other Gryffindors in the common room, and even sent some running up to their dorms to drag the rest of their friends out.

"'Mione, I don't understand why you're still studying. We've defeated You-Know-Who and we're the best friends of _the_ Harry Potter. I mean, without _us_ , there would be _no way_ that Harry could take down You-Know-Who! People will look for us to fill in their jobs slots; _we_ don't have to do _anything_!"

He waited several seconds for the witch to answer, but Hermione ignored his words, so he tried again.

"I mean, everyone will be at our beck and call. You can even go on to becoming the Minister of Magic! Just because we've helped Harry defeat You-Know-Who! Studying now is stupid when we've gotten credit for his demise. Besides, you're just wasting your time now. No one needs to study when You-Know-Who is gone! It's only a matter of time before the Aurors capture the remaining Death Eaters. I hope they get sent to Azkaban, but personally, I think they should get the Dementor's Kiss."

The Gryffindor audience looked at Ron with disgust. How could a sixteen year old be so inhumane, so stupid and so crass all at once? It seemed as if Ron was the perfect depiction of someone who was so inept at everything that nothing could be able to help him.

When Hermione continued to ignore him, Ron's simmering anger turned to a full explosion. He shoved all her textbooks to the floor and bellowed at her. "WHY ARE YOU STILL STUDYING?! DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?! YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR BOOKS ANYMORE! WE'RE FAMOUS! WE'RE GOING TO BE RICH BECAUSE WE HELPED HARRY TAKE DOWN YOU-KNOW-WHO!"

Hermione could have ignored him were the redhead to continue calling for her attention. She could have ignored him when he continued to speak to her. But she could not, no longer, ignore the fact that Ron was still in his delusion world where he would receive the fame and glory of "helping" her best friend defeat Voldemort when the redhead was whisked away by the members of the Order of the Phoenix!

She held onto to her temper though. The brunette needed to keep calm and be rational. She knelt on her knees as she picked up her books and parchment paper. As soon as she got up, Ron immediately pushed the books from her hands, causing Hermione to fall onto the floor.

' _That's it! I can't take it anymore!'_

Hermione got up to her feet and stared Ron down. Even with the redhead a couple of inches taller than the brunette, Hermione was able to make Ron seem like an insignificant insect underneath her shoe. " _We_ didn't help Harry take down V-Voldemort, Ron! And since he's _gone_ , why don't you say his name?! _Harry_ took down Voldemort _ALL. BY. HIMSELF._ _WE_ were not even _near_ their battle! WE were rescued by the Order from the Death Eaters that had pursued us! WE DID NOTHING TO HELP HIM RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU ASSUME TO TAKE CREDIT FOR SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T DO?! HARRY SAVED THE WIZARDING WORLD! HE DESTROYED VOLDEMORT TO PROTECT US ALL, YET YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO BELITTLE HIM JUST FOR A LITTLE FAME AND SUPPOSED FORTUNE?! IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE EMPLOYED ANYWHERE IN THE WIZARDING WORLD JUST BECAUSE YOU HAPPEN TO BE BEST FRIENDS WITH HARRY, YOU'RE WRONG YOU STUPID INSIGNIFICANT BIGOTED FOOL!" She roared, her brown eyes lit with uncontained fury.

Unprepared for the witch's fury, though he was privy to her frightening anger at times, Ron took a step back before realizing that it proved he was scared of her. In lieu of his response, he made a move to use his wand against Hermione. And that was when Harry could no longer stand in silence. The raven came out of the shadows of the staircase and immediately disarmed the redhead.

Professor McGonagall had been accosted while she was walking down the hallway. One of her lions had heard the beginnings of the argument, and unlike the other Gryffindors whom had merely gotten their friends to join in the increasing size of the audience, the Gryffindor had quickly gotten Professor McGonagall. She arrived at the Common Rooms during the end of Hermione's tirade and was about to give off detention before she saw that Harry had disarmed the redhead when the Weasley boy had made to curse the brunette.

With fury unlike any other, Professor McGonagall gave Ron detention for three months, one for starting the argument and two for attempting to use a curse on a fellow Gryffindor. She stripped Gryffindor of one hundred points before turning to Harry and awarding him fifty points for defending a friend. She was about to take points off because Hermione had screamed, but the teary tracks on the witch's face stopped her. With that, she grabbed Ron by the scruff of his uniform and dragged him out of the Gryffindor common room, stating all the while that his mother would be hearing from her.

The Gryffindor that had gotten Professor McGonagall was Neville Longbottom. Though he did not want to leave Hermione alone with Ron, Neville was confident that when it came to it, Hermione would be able to take the redhead down; and so, he went searching for their Head of Gryffindor.

Quickly sensing that Harry and Hermione needed a moment, Neville immediately sent the rest of the Gryffindors away. And they left without any arguments, having gotten used to the disputes between the redhead and the brunette.

Hermione flopped down onto the loveseat and sobbed into her hands. Harry walked up to her and drew her close, hoping that his hug would comfort the distraught witch. Even though Ron was the one who spoke poorly of Harry, Hermione couldn't help but feel defensive of her best friend. And she couldn't help but cry at Ron's selfish attitude, his lack of care for Harry when he merely wanted Harry as a friend just for the presumed fame and fortune.

When Harry took in a deep breath, he found that he enjoyed the smell of parchment paper, old tomes, black ink and a hint of sweet cinnamon and cherry blossoms. And that's when it clicked. His elven side realized that Hermione had to be one of his wives.

But all the incidents were easily forgotten when Harry remembered the date. He would remove Dumbledore and those Weasley siblings today if he could do anything about it. And he would. Ridding the school of bad influences would enable Harry to begin the first step in his future: getting Hermione to go out with him. Harry quickly made his way to the Great Hall, consuming his meal at a fast pace, ignoring the scolding that Hermione gave him, saying "You're going to choke if you keep eating that fast!" Other than that, no one bothered to focus on Harry's consumption and ate their own meals. No one bothered to mention the puffy red eyes Hermione had nor the drying tear tracks on her face.

After breakfast ended, Hermione, Neville and Luna wished him luck before walking Harry out to Hogsmeade where he took a portkey to the Ministry to await Dumbledore, Molly, Ron and Ginny's trials. After all, due to the trials, school had been cancelled that very same day.

X - X

"Sirius! Remus!" Harry greeted, hugging both his godfathers. The teenager was wearing dark dress robes, with emerald linings sewn with golden engravings.

"Pup! Are you ready for this?" smiled Sirius. Like his godson, the animagus was excited for what would happen to the so-called famous Albus Dumbledore, supposed leader of the Light.

With a nod, the trio adjourned to the courtroom, sitting amongst the rest of the audience.

Within minutes, Amelia Bones stepped up and called the courtroom to attention. When everyone became silent, she spoke. "Bring out the accused."

Molly Weasley was brought out as the first person to be accused. Strapped onto the seat, she tried to wriggle out of the manacles, but it was hopeless.

"Read the accusations." Amelia ordered, and finally noticing Percy Weasley in the courtroom, Harry watched as he cleared his throat and read from the list.

"Molly Weasley is accused of line-theft, alleged use of the illegal love potion Amortentia, and the alleged signing of a marriage contract conducted without one of the mentioned participants in agreement."

Seeing an Auror draw closer with the truth serum, Molly began to renew her struggles. However, with three drops of Veritaserum into her mouth, her body instantly relaxed and her eyes glazed over.

Nodding her head to the rest of the Wizengamot, Amelia Bones started off the mandatory questions required to test the effectiveness of the potion.

"What is your name?"

"Molly Weasley nee Prewett."

"When were you born?"

"October 30, 1949."

With a second nod to the Wizengamot, Amelia Bones started the interrogation.

"Did you steal from Harry Potter?"

"Yes."

"When did this begin?"

"In January of 1982."

"How did you get access to his vaults?"

"Albus was the one to draw his finances from his vaults as Harry's magical guardian. He came to us in order to have us help Harry when he was finally introduced into the magical world. Albus said Harry would need our help and that our two youngest children would be there for him."

"Did he tell you anything else?" Amelia asked, but Molly stayed silent. So, Albus did say a lot more than just what the Weasley matriarch had revealed.

Amelia corrected her question. "What did he say would affect Harry Potter's future?"

Molly spilled all the information. "Albus said that Harry would be tested each year while at Hogwarts. His test would be to see how he would fair against all possible incidents. For first year, he had willingly allowed Professor Quirrell in, purposefully lowering the wards at Hogwarts to allow a Troll in, and in effect, allowing You-Know-Who who had been possessing the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor into Hogwarts. He paid my son and I about 50,000 galleons for that year and that year alone. He stated that Harry would need my son at his side to guide him towards the test. It only so happened that Hermione Granger, a muggleborn witch, had joined them after the Troll incident. For the second year, when my daughter had been dragged into the Chamber of Secrets, Dumbledore paid us extra because it would be the first time Harry and Ginny became acquainted with one another and the fact that my daughter's life would be on the line. But Dumbledore promised that Harry would save her and he did. This enabled Harry to start a relationship with my daughter and for my daughter to see Harry as the knight in shining armor I've described him as during her childhood bedtime stories."

Before Molly could continue, Amelia stopped her and asked another question. "Why did you brew Amortentia, when you knew it was an illegal love potion?"

"Albus told me to brew it." Molly said, her eyes still glazed over. "As the Headmaster, he noticed that Harry, although friends with my daughter, still had not taken an interest in her. He wanted Harry to fall in love with Ginny and who was I to disagree?"

"Why did you write up a marriage contract between Ginevra Weasley and Harry Potter?"

"To have Ginny marry to _the_ Harry Potter would mean that our family would have access to the rest of the Potter vaults." At this, disgusted gasps were heard. "It wasn't until the _Daily Prophet_ revealed that Harry was a Lord to seven Noble and Ancient lines that we decided to further cement the fact that Ginny needed to become Harry's girlfriend and eventually his wife."

"You keep mentioning the word 'we'. Who is 'we'?"

"Albus and I. Albus promised that Ginny would be able to become the wife of Harry Potter and gain access to his vaults. Of course, he was also the person to sign for Harry's portion of the marriage contract. He _is_ the boy's magical guardian."

Amelia smirked. "Albus was _never_ Harry's magical guardian. As Sirius and Severus had never passed away, his claim on Harry as his magical guardian is null and void. Other than that, what were you going to do once you gotten a hold of Harry Potter?"

"Probably kill him off once he gave birth to an heir. All we needed from him was to marry my daughter. Once that was fortified, as in-laws and wife to the boy, we'd have access to all his accounts. He would not be needed then."

Molly's eyes seemed to lose its glaze before she turned pale and a look of horror became prominent. Her blue eyes searched through the crowds and landed on Harry's emerald green eyes. Noticing the dead look on his face, Molly turned away, flushing red.

Because Harry was the person being victimized by the accused, he was unable to decide on their punishment. And soon, the punishment was decided.

"By order of the Wizengamot, Molly Weasley is guilty of all accusations. You will be sentenced to forty years in Azkaban. And after your release, you will be under ten years of house arrest with a fifteen year of community service. Your personal vault, as you have mentioned that your husband does not know about this, will be frozen and given over to Lord Potter-Black to compensate your debt. The rest of your Prewitt inheritance will be taken from you and whatever debt is left over will be settled with by the Weasley family." Amelia Bones slammed the gavel down and watched dispassionately as the Weasley matriarch was dragged screaming from the room. The murmurs were loud, but the sound of quill on parchment paper was louder.

"Bring in the next accused." Amelia ordered and several Aurors brought in Ron Weasley.

"Read the accusations."

Eyeing his brother with distain, Percy read the list. "Ronald Bilius Weasley is accused of line theft." Then he looked at the next accusation and continued. "Augusta Longbottom has accused Ronald Bilius Weasley for harming her only grandchild, Neville Longbottom, as the accused had nearly taken the victim's life in a malicious attempt to harm him."

"I DID NO SUCH THING! HE'S JUST CLUMSY; THAT'S ALL!" Ron bellowed.

"Silence!" Amelia demanded, cracking the gravel onto the sound block beneath it. "Administer the Veritaserum!"

The audience watched as the redhead squirmed violently in his seat and when the Veritaserum spilled from his clenched mouth, they had to stun the boy, place three drops of Veritaserum into his mouth and use _Rennervate_ to revive him.

"What is your name?"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley."

"When were you born?"

"March 1, 1980."

Feeling a headache forming at the impending questioning, the acting Minister decided to go for the kill.

"Why were you paid by Albus Dumbledore?"

"To become Harry Potter's friend. But after the incident with Professor Quirrell, I wanted to stop being his friend. I did not want to endanger my life; it just wasn't worth the 5,000 galleons Dumbledore was paying me out of my mother and my total of 50,000 galleons. But then, Dumbledore said that with each tough trial, I would get paid more and because I would always be known as Harry Potter's best friend, I would have fame along with fortune."

"What else did Dumbledore promise you?"

"He promised that if I had Harry continue to go through the tasks he had set up for him each year, when You-Know-Who was killed with him, I would automatically be seen as the second best hero for assisting Harry in removing You-Know-Who from the Wizarding World. Professor Dumbledore promised that when that happened, he would gain access to the Potter vaults and we would get a large portion of the profits."

Amelia decided to "Did you mean to hit Neville with the Jelly-Legs Curse just as he was about to walk down the stairs? Just as the stairs had begun to change?"

"I meant it. Ever since he became close to Harry, Harry would act differently. And it was more so this year. If I removed Neville from Harry's side, I would be able to get Harry back to me."

"Did you curse him _because_ he was right by the staircase?"

"Yes. With a fall and injury that bad, he would be out for at least a month. It would be even luckier for me should Neville have died from the little accident. It was a perfect plan." Augusta made to stand up, but Harry put his hand on hers. Augusta looked at him and saw his contained fury, and slowly relaxed.

"Would you care about the aftereffects should Neville end up in a coma?"

"Why would I care? He's just a squib. His fall could have been deemed as an accident because we all know he's clumsy, useless and worthless. He shouldn't be able to stand by Harry's side. That position is already taken by me. Harry doesn't need another best mate."

"I think I've heard enough." Amelia sighed, waving the Aurors to administer the antidote. "Will the Wizengamot speak of their decision?"

With the looks of disgust written on all the members' faces, it was easy to ascertain what they had decided for the redhead.

"We fine the accused guilty of all accusations."

"Very well. Ronald Bilius Weasley, you are sentenced to a two year probation – overlooked by two of our Aurors. Should you take a step out of line, your wand will be snapped and your magic sealed. Your punishment also includes a five-year community service period. Your trust vault will be frozen and given to Lord Potter-Black to compensate all that you've stolen. The Weasley family will settle the rest of your unpaid debt. As for line theft, you will work in the Gringotts' mine for two years after you have graduated. That is all." Amelia struck the gavel once more and ordered for the next accused to be brought forth.

The acting Minister, and current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, slumped slightly in her seat. Noticing this, Percy immediately produced a cup of warm tea and placed it on the bench. Thanking the court scribe, Amelia took a long sip and let out a sigh. Feeling the rejuvenating effects of the calming tea, Amelia looked up to face another redhead. She chanced a peek at her court scribe, knowing that these were his family members, but she saw no emotion other than disgust towards the accused.

As the Veritaserum routine was finished and the mandatory questions asked, Amelia continued to the accusations.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley is accused of line theft, alleged use of the illegal love potion Amortentia and the signing of the marriage contract between herself and Harry Potter."

"Why were you paid with money from Harry Potter's vaults?" Simple and straight to the point.

"Because my duty was to have Harry fall in love with me, get married and eventually kill him off to gain access to the rest of his inheritance."

"Why did you have your mother brew Amortentia?"

"Because Harry seemed to be falling in love with everyone, _but_ me. I did not want any other competition and Amortentia would guarantee that he looked at nobody but me."

"Was the marriage contract also another back-up plan?"

"Yes. Should Harry not fall in love with me or date another girl, he would have to marry me because the contract was made legal with my mother and Professor Dumbledore signing. As both parents and guardians of the underage teenagers, the contract was valid, as purebloods still have this in effect to guarantee the arranged marriage between two powerful and affluent families."

The process was continued until the verdict was decided. Ginevra Weasley was sentenced to ten years in Azkaban for attempting to use Amortentia and five additional years for line theft. Though she was not a participant in the makings of the marriage contract, Ginny was still sentenced to ten years of house arrest after she left Azkaban and fifteen years of community service. Yet, because she was still a minor and even a student still, she would live out her verdict after she graduates from Hogwarts. Her trust vault was frozen and given over to Harry and the Weasley family would settle the rest of her unpaid debt. She too was dragged off kicking and screaming about being her punishment being unfair as she was the future Lady Potter to Lord Harry James Potter.

Harry shivered in his seat in disgust. He couldn't believe that _that_ girl was so caught up in her delusion of grandeur that she would believe _he_ could ever fall in love with her. His elven side itched to rip her up into pieces, but his more logical side calmed it down, claiming that her sentence was just. Then at the corner of his eye, he noticed that Arthur Weasley was sitting in the back, hidden amongst the shadows. His eyes were sullen and the man seemed to be despondent at having witnessed three of his nine family members being put to trial.

Finally came the trial they were all waiting for.

Albus Dumbledore was brought to the stand and a frown was prominent on his old and wrinkled face. When the Aurors were about to cuff him to his seat, he made to protest, but his protests were ignored as the Aurors locked the cuffs even tighter around his wrist, grinning wickedly at the old wizard's discomfort.

"What is your name?"

"Albus Per-"

"Just your first and last name. We haven't got all day." Amelia interrupted with a glare.

"Albus Dumbledore." The old wizard refrained from scowling, as it would not help prove his innocence in the matter.

"Read the accusations."

"Albus Dumbledore is accused of child abuse, child neglect, tampering with the wards of Hogwarts Castle, turning a blind eye on students' injuries other than those of Gryffindors, allowing the students to become injured during fifth year, sending students to dangerous tasks just to test them," And as Percy continued to read through the accusations, the audience, the Wizengamot and Amelia grew paler and paler. Finally, Percy finished off the accusations with, "…line theft, alleged use of the illegal love potion Amortentia, illegal signing of a marriage contract between Ginevra Weasley and Harry Potter."

"How do you plead?"

"Not guilty, of course." Albus stated, as if he had done nothing wrong to the world.

"Administer the Veritaserum." Amelia ordered, after taking a sip of tea.

"Now, my dear, there is no need for Veritaserum. I will tell you all that I know."

" _Mr._ Dumbledore, please refrain from any monikers or terms of endearment. I am not your dear, nor is anyone else here your _dear_ or _boy_. Administer the Veritaserum." Amelia ordered, quite frankly annoyed at the old wizard's presence already.

With a glazed look in his eyes, Amelia began the questioning.

"Name?"

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

"Birth date?"

"August 2, 1881."

"Why were you accused of child abuse and child neglect?"

"I had left Harry on the doorsteps of his muggle relatives that night Voldemort had disappeared." Everyone in the audience flinched at the name, all except for Harry and Dumbledore. "I had known for a fact that Petunia would hate Harry, just because of her hatred towards her younger sister, Lily Evans. With Harry physically, mentally and emotionally abused, it would make it possible for me to mold him to my wishes. I have been asked repeatedly by Harry to send him somewhere else and to allow him to stay with his friends for the summer, but I refused. I told him, stating that Lily's blood wards would protect him from Voldemort were more important. But what I didn't tell him was that it needed both the relative's care and Harry's thoughts as 4 Privet Drive as his home to keep the blood wards going. And because of the lack thereof, the wards have fallen when he was just a child."

"And V-Voldemort could have gotten to Harry anytime during his childhood?!" Amelia was shocked.

"Yes. If any of his Death Eaters or Voldemort," another collective flinch, "himself went to destroy Harry, then the boy would have been dead before he reached Hogwarts. It was just a matter of spreading a rumor that a blood ward guarded his relatives' home. No one would know that authenticity of that rumor except for myself."

"Why did you feel the need to test Harry during his years at Hogwarts?"

"Because the tests themselves were designed specifically by me in order to see how he would react should an adult with several years of experience try to harm him and his friends. With his friends in danger and his need to have my approval, Harry would be more likely to improve in his magic should he finish his tasks."

"Regarding the incident in fifth year, did you have nothing to do with it just so Harry would rise up?"

"Yes. With Harry's leadership skills, it would prove that he was capable of becoming a warrior of the light, one that would defeat Voldemort. Plus, it would remind many witches and wizards that his mentor was me, should he follow in my footsteps. My name would live on in history."

After the interrogation tapered down to the last three questions. Everyone was at the edge of their seats, wondering just how harsh the old wizard's sentence would be.

"Why did you steal from Harry Potter?"

"The boy knew nothing of his inheritance, nor had the knowledge of the magical world. The funds would most likely be left in his vaults for the rest of his life – considering he had more than he needed. The funds were given to Molly and her youngest two children to ensure they would keep the boy firmly in the light side. Other funds were moved to my own vaults and for the vaults that would help keep the Order of Phoenix going in case Voldemort came back."

"What of the love potion Amortentia? Why did you need it?"

"I had noticed Harry's disinterest in the youngest Weasley child. In order to keep him on my side and firmly in my grasp, he needed to foster feelings for the girl. And so, I had Molly Weasley brew the Amortentia, further increasing their funds whenever they did something I asked, or had undergone a strenuous test with Harry."

"Why did you sign the marriage contract with Molly Weasley?"

"With Harry's marriage into the Weasley family, Harry would be forever viewed as a firm supporter and future leader in the light. But once his funds were in our grasp, we would get rid of him. The news of his extra inheritance from his lineage only furthered our need to get rid of him after he married to the Weasley family. With his funds and being known as Harry's mentor, I would be forever famous and rich. There was no need for other women to come in and take what was mine."

Amelia sat back in her seat, contemplating on what else she should ask before she ended the trial. She had already gone through the Sirius Black case, so what else… Oh!

"Were you ever legally declared to be Harry Potter's magical guardian?"

The courtroom seemed to have taken a deep breath, holding it in, waiting for the answer.

"No."

Voices erupted from all sides of the courtroom. The media started snapping a great deal of pictures of the wizard and the reporters were quickly scribbling down the answer onto their notepad.

"Order! Order in the courtroom!" Amelia shouted, knocking the gavel down several times to calm the audience. Once the courtroom was quieted, she continued on.

"Why did you say to others that you were Harry's magical guardian? Who was it supposed to be, originally?"

"Originally, Harry's magical guardian should have fallen on Sirius, but he was sent to Azkaban. Then it would have been Remus, but he was nowhere to be found after I sent him on a mission to start the arrangements to have werewolves on our side of the war. The third person was Severus Snape through his connections with Lily Evans, but he couldn't take care of the boy when he was my spy for the Dark side. Then it should have been Minerva McGonagall, but I needed her to be on my side, a faithful servant, no matter how many times she's disagreed with my decisions. Declaring myself as Harry's magical guardian would allow for me to receive his vault key, but when I found out that he would be receiving his Gringotts letters when he turned eleven, I had them intercepted in order to keep Harry in the dark about the Wizarding World, until I got Hagrid to retrieve him."

"Did you or did you not know that Sirius Black was not the real secret keeper of the Fidelius Charm for the Potter family?"

"I knew."

"Yet you did nothing to stop an innocent man from being sent to Azkaban?"

"No I did not."

After the administration of the antidote, Albus came to, looking ruefully at Amelia as if she had done him wrong.

"Albus Dumbledore, you have been sentenced to Azkaban for the rest of your life. Your wand will be snapped and your magic will be sealed. Your vaults will immediately be handed over to Lord Potter-Black to compensate your debt. Any and all personal possessions and property will be handed over to Lord Potter-Black, the rest of your debt with be settled by your brother Aberforth Dumbledore. You are hereby stripped of your titles as Headmaster of Hogwarts, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and your status as a receiver of the Order of Merlin, first class. You should be thankful that we have not sentenced you to the Dementor's Kiss… Any last words, Mr. Dumbledore?"

"Yes, I believe I won't be able to fulfill your verdict." He said, with a gleam in his eyes. "Fawkes!" He cried out.

With a bright flash of erupting fire, the red and gold phoenix appeared by his side, but rather than helping Albus escape his chains, Fawkes flew directly to Harry and trilled a long and happy song. Albus's smile dropped like a sack of bricks and his body started to jolt and spasm in his seat. And before their very eyes, the bond between the Phoenix and Dumbledore was revealed to all.

Another long but sharp trill sent the bond pulsing before it exploded into tiny red and yellow sparks before it evaporated into thin air. Dumbledore slumped heavily in his seat, gasping for air as if he had done something strenuous. The audience watched on, as Fawkes trilled a melodious tune and together, with Harry, was engulfed with a golden halo. The bond between Fawkes and Harry was created, allowing Fawkes to become the familiar of the Boy-Who-Lived.

Witches and wizards watched on with surprise and astonishment when Harry seemed to relax under Fawkes's preening and Dumbledore's pale sickly complexion.

"Court adjourned. Remove him at once." Amelia ended the last of the trials with three knocks with the gavel. When the courthouse was silent once more, Amelia turned to look at Harry. "Any last words Lord Potter?"

Harry smiled at her. "Yes. I, Harry James Potter-Black-Gryffindor-Slytherin-LeFey-Merlin-Peverell, hereby claim my rightful seats in the Wizengamot."

…..

The media made their way to surround Harry and to ask for his statement, but through all the hassle, he saw Percy walk up to his father, give him a tight hug, which was instantly returned, and then saw the third oldest Weasley son walk out of the courtroom, no doubt heading to file the court case.

"I have no comments for what happened in these four trials." Harry said, instantly silencing the reporters. "What they have done, their sentence has been just. All I hope is for their punishment to change their attitude to become better people. That is all." Harry made his way through the crowd, pushing off reporters that got too close to him and Augusta. Remus was to Augusta's right side while Sirius took the rear.

Together, the quartet made their way to the Ministry's Atrium, still followed by the nosy reporters. Bidding Augusta farewell, and waiting until she left by floo, Harry and his godfathers flooed to Grimmauld Place.

Harry hugged both Sirius and Remus, promised to write to them and had Fawkes help him return to Hogwarts.

X - X

The trials had taken about four hours – one hour per person, so when Harry returned to Hogwarts with Fawkes's assistance, he had materialized in an eruption of flames right besides the Gryffindor table. Startling the entire student body, Fawkes perched upon Harry's shoulder, trilling lightly before hopping onto the table and peering at the food.

Harry walked up directly to Hermione and stood before her.

She looked up at him, confused. "Harry?"

"Hermione Jean Granger!" He shouted.

Hermione shot up from her seat, alarmed. "Yes?!"

Harry gulped and took a deep breath, before he spoke with all his guts, "Will you go out with me?"

The brunette flushed beautifully, in Harry's eyes. She flustered before she returned his look, gasping at the fiery gaze in those perfect emerald green eyes. Neville reached over the table and nudged her from the side, chuckling along with Luna whom had started to giggle at the spectacle.

"I – I will!" Hermione smiled, once she had gathered her wits together. Harry hugged her tightly before breathing in her scent.

"This weekend, you and me, date at Hogsmeade." Harry said, struggling through the plan. He was not used to asking a girl out on a date, and he hoped Hermione understood that.

"Excuse me?" She laughed, her brown eyes fixated on Harry's emerald green eyes.

Harry took in a deep breath before letting it out. He took Hermione's hand in his like it was porcelain and kissed her knuckles. "Hermione Granger, would you do me the honor of going out on a date with me this coming Saturday at Hogsmeade?"

With amusement lighting her eyes, Hermione accepted and they both sat down together, hands held tightly between them. The rumor mill started up once again, as it became known that Harry had chosen Hermione to be his first wife.

Severus turned to look at Minerva and held out his hand. The Transfiguration Professor had reluctantly handed over five galleons before pouting at her loss. With a smirk worthy of a Malfoy, Severus returned to his breakfast – glad that he had finally one-upped the Head of Gryffindor, even if it meant not dealing with their small rivalry over Quidditch. Minerva had turned to look at her newly formed Gryffindor couple, yet she worried over the rest of Harry's relationships – considering her little lion would have to find six more people to be in love with.

…...

Hermione's face remained flushed, but her smile was lit with happiness. Her crush was finally returned! And she couldn't help but hope that what the rumors were saying would be true. ' _I really hope I'm always with Harry_.' she thought.

As they sat down, the entire Gryffindor table rushed up to congratulate them. All the girls went up to Hermione and started to cheer for her, whilst they gossiped about the future between the newly formed couple. The boys were patting Harry on the back and making some obscene gestures, which got them points taken off when Professor McGonagall walked by. But the Head of Gryffindor House also congratulated her two lions, considering she'd been betting on the two getting together since they've first met. The teachers had set up a betting pool after all.

However, when Harry and Hermione found out that the Gryffindor House had set up a betting pool as well, they had turned red with embarrassment before seeking each other out.

Hermione nearly hexed all those that had bid on them, but when Harry held her, she instantly cooled off, choosing to blush profusely.

….

A/N: Yes! The story is starting to speed up! With the bad people out of the way –pumps fist into air – we can finally get to Harry's courting! Who's with me?! R&R please (: I'm still trying to find six other females to be Harry's wives! Thank you all!


	7. Will you go out with me?

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

A/N: All right, so I understand I've told you all that there will be six more females to join Harry's little harem. However, my story seems to be heading off into a different direction. So, males are allowed as well! Let me know your opinions and thoughts. Thanks!

Edited: 7.6.16 - Changed all of Alicia to Katie (: Thanks for pointing it out guys.

…..

Chapter 7

~ Will You Go Out With Me~

…..

The week passed by slowly, too slowly in Harry and Hermione's eyes. They were very anxious for their very first date as a couple. Their eyes would linger on the other during class, only to look away when one of them would turn their way. Their hands would touch slightly, enjoying the feeling of their skin together. It was the middle of the week when Harry finally had the guts to take her hand in his and clasp them together. Harry had a good ribbing from Neville and the Weasley twins, but he didn't care. Hermione's smooth skin in his own calloused hands felt strange, but in a good way. Harry had never held hands with a girl before so experiencing some of his 'first times' with Hermione made it all the more special.

The only thing that had stirred up the Hogwarts student population was the fact that the _Daily Prophet_ had written all about the trials. It was on the front page of the Sunday edition. Murmurs were heard before there were uproars at the Gryffindor table. Everyone was staring at Harry when they finished reading the articles. Harry had to pull Hermione out of the Great Hall with Neville's help. Luna didn't even skip after them; she had walked briskly besides them. They made their way to the Gryffindor Common Room and waited for Hermione to finish her rant. Neville had angrily sat in the corner, his eyes narrowed hatefully at nothing specific. Luna had a frown on her face – which was something that was quite unusual for someone who was usually so upbeat and happy all the time.

After the three had calmed down, Harry had to tell them all that had happened to him during his time living with the Dursleys and how much Dumbledore actually harmed him ever since he was a first year. Hermione had burst into tears when she realized that the bruises she'd seen on Harry were actually from beatings by his uncle and cousin. Neville was aghast. How could someone treat a magical child like that? Magical children were seen as gifts! To neglect and physically abuse someone since they were born, even when they had the same blood, was too much to digest. It was after that day that Neville, Hermione and Luna banded together to make sure no one would be able to harm Harry ever again – not unless they wanted to be shot down.

Everyone everywhere had looked at Harry, trying to get him to reveal whether or not what the _Daily Prophet_ had written was true. When their questions had gotten too much, Harry had burst out shouting at them, "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS IF IT WAS TRUE OR NOT. YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE ME EVEN IF I SAID IT WAS TRUE. YOU CHOOSE TO BELIEVE WHAT A SLIMY REPORTER HAS TO SAY OVER ME. IF YOU WANT THE TRUTH, STOP READING WHAT SKEETER RIGHTS AND PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ARSES!"

Harry, not surprisingly, had not received a detention from his uproar at dinner.

…..

 **October 31** **st**

Harry had woken up feeling quite down in the dumps. Of course, he remembered what today was. It was Halloween: the day that his parents had died fifteen years ago, the day that Professor Quirrell had set a troll loose in Hogwarts five years ago, the day that he had been accused of killing Mrs. Norris four years ago, the day that he found out Sirius Black, his own godfather, had escaped Azkaban and was searching for him three years ago, the day his name had flown out of the Goblet of Fire two years ago and the day he had his first detention with Umbitch one year ago. [1] He sighed, wondering what would happen this year, before getting up out of his bed.

The raven-haired Gryffindor had taken a long hot shower; as the only one awake at the wee hours of the morning, he was able to spend some time alone – which is what he really wanted on this specific day.

Everyone had seemed to leave the Boy-Who-Lived be as he trudged to and from classes, ate very little during meal time and stayed sitting in the settee in front of the Gryffindor Common Room's fireplace. No one had bothered believing what Rita Skeeter had written about Harry anymore, not after his chastising them the day after the trials had occurred. However, people did find out that what was written was true, considering Ron and Ginny hadn't been expelled from Hogwarts and were always followed by two Ministry approved Aurors. Dumbledore had been removed from his position as Headmaster of Hogwarts and the students with parents in the Ministry had heard from their parents that the trials had occurred and the details pertaining to the trials were true.

Now everyone wanted to know just who _Harry Potter_ was, not Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived or Harry Potter, the Savior of the Wizarding World. This helped Harry reach out to others as well, being able to show them who he truly was – not someone who was constantly a pawn under a manipulative old bastard's thumb, but a sixteen-year-old child who believed in what he thought, spoke up when friends were harassed and was able to express his feelings without anyone judging him.

Though the _Daily Prophet_ had shown the Wizarding World what occurred before Harry had entered the Wizarding World (because after Dumbledore had been sent to Azkaban, his manipulations had crumpled and unfolded), Harry was now able to freely be himself – something his friends were dying for him to do. It also happened that Neville had been chosen to be the new Gryffindor Prefect; Harry had congratulated the stunned Gryffindor when Professor McGonagall had handed him the Prefect Badge. Neville had been stuttering the rest of the night, still not believing that he had attained Prefect status. Professor McGonagall had explained that she had wished to see the progress of her lions before making the correct decision. Unbeknownst to the witch, her words helped to increase Neville's self esteem.

Surprisingly after Potions, Severus had held up Harry and told him to wait a couple of minutes. The potions master came back with a small album and handed it over to Harry. Confused, Harry opened the album and saw pictures of a young Lily Evans from the age of eleven all the way until she had given birth to Harry. Severus explained that while he, himself, may have memories about his childhood friend, Harry didn't have any due to the fact that everyone else would mostly talk about his father. So, the album was Severus' way of giving Harry a part of his mother.

The boy had given into his emotions and had hugged the stunned Head of Slytherin, profusely thanking him for his wonderful gift. Severus awkwardly patted his back before pulling away. His last words to Harry before the Gryffindor left the potions classroom was, "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here. Even if it's just to relax and be away from the public eye."

So yeah, maybe Harry's sixteenth Halloween wasn't so bad after all as it turns out. With Harry being able to be himself whenever he wanted, Harry was able to mourn alone, and was eventually joined by the rest of his friends as they sat together to comfort him in his time of need. Turns out, Harry wasn't as depressed as he made himself out to be that very morning. All he needed was his friend's support.

…..

 **November** **1** **st**

Harry had woken up early that Saturday. He wanted everything to be perfect, but more importantly, Harry wanted Hermione to enjoy their time together as a couple. He had taken a nice long shower, making sure to scrub himself down twice with musk smelling body wash and shampooed his hair twice with pine tree scented shampoo. Afterwards, he made sure to put on deodorant before rummaging through his closet looking for clothes. Harry quickly dried his hair with the towel before throwing on a form fitting green silk shirt with black slacks and black dragonhide boots. He threw on a black double-breasted jacket with a flapped V-neck and long sleeves. He placed wand into the disillusioned wand holster sitting on his right wrist before checking his appearance and heading to the Common Room to wait for Hedwig's return. Harry had sent his snowy white owl to pick up a bouquet for Hermione – one that he would soon place a charm on to prevent the flowers from decomposing.

Harry left his dormitory and opened the window in the Common Room when it was around 9:50 AM and Hedwig flew in with a bouquet of flowers, freshly cut because that was what he had wanted. Within his mixed medium arrangement bouquet, there was an _Amaryllis_ flower as the focal point [2], a mix and match of red and white _Carnations_ [3] as the secondary flower, the _Gladiolus_ flower [4] as the filler and _Orchids_ as the bouquet's greens [5]. Thanking Hedwig for making the trip, he promised to get her a pack of frozen rats when he returned from his date. Hedwig bobbed her head as if saying, "Good. You better remember your promise." before she flew off into the Owlery.

Harry took a deep breath and turned around – his breath escaping him as if his lungs had taken a beating. There at the bottom of the steps was Hermione. Her brown hair was pulled back in a vintage half up hairstyle that left the rest of her hanging in curls across her shoulders. Her wore a bronzy gold eye shadow with black and gold mascara; her cheeks donned pink blush and her lips fallen a plum colored lipstick. The brunette witch wore an ivory semi-sheer blouse with a point collar and concealed button placket and a rose print skirt that reached two inches above her knees. She adorned wine colored four-inch high faux suede pumps, a black velvet choker with a ruby dangling in the middle, studded earrings and her hands held a red velvet clutch bag, showing off her blood red nail polish.

Harry had to swallow several times before he could speak. He quickly handed over the bouquet and watched with besotted eyes as Hermione smiled softly and gave the bouquet a quick sniff. "Y-You look amazing." Harry said finally, enjoying the blush that came with his compliment.

"Thank you. You look handsome yourself."

Harry could already smell the mixed scent of sandalwood and vanilla. "Shall we?" Harry asked, holding his arm out for her.

Hermione gifted him with another shy smile before she linked her arm with his and held the bouquet in her free hand. They walked through the corridors before handing over their permission slip to Filch. After waving them off, Harry, like the gentleman that he is, escorted Hermione to an empty carriage before entering himself. They made small talk throughout the ride to Hogsmeade, their voices no louder than a whisper.

Hermione kept her gaze at Harry's eyes whenever their eyes met, and when he looked away, her eyes would fall onto the bouquet in her hands. She had read all about flowers and their meanings, and she was elated that Harry had thought of her as beautiful, faithful and had a mature charm that many adults agreed Hermione to evoke. She also enjoyed how the carnations would represent their small simmering love that would bloom to its finest in the future. It took a good fifteen minutes to get to Hogsmeade and Harry helped Hermione out of the carriage before leading her into the little village.

"Where do you want to go first?" He asked.

"I don't think you'd like going to Madam Puttifoot's." Hermione giggled, looking up at Harry.

"If you want to go, we'll go. This day is all about us, so wherever you wish to go, we'll head there."

Hermione laughed at how uncomfortable Harry was getting when the conversation kept going on about Madam Puttifoot's Tea Shop. Deciding to save Harry the agony, she led him over to the Three Broomsticks and asked for a private table in the corner. They were immediately sat at a table in the corner of the room that was dimly lit by a hanging lantern above the table. After ordering two Butterbeers, they settled down in comfortable silence, waiting for their drinks to come.

"So…" Harry started out.

Hermione turned to look at him.

"You look really beautiful." He cleared his throat. Harry internally winced when he berated himself for repeating his compliment. "I-I mean that you look really pretty." He felt his cheeks flush red when Hermione looked at him with amusement shining in her eyes.

"Why thank you Mr. Potter. You look quite dashing yourself." She smiled.

Harry took a leap of faith and reached over to lace their hand together. He smiled at the warmth and pulled her hand close to him to kiss her knuckles before settling them down onto the table.

"Nervous?" asked Hermione.

"Positively." answered Harry.

"Okay, I thought I would be the only one that was nervous. My stomach feels all fluttery like there are butterflies in them."

"That feeling has yet to leave the premises." Harry admitted, giving her hand a firm squeeze. Their drinks soon arrived after, but their hands remained linked together. Hermione had to place her bouquet onto the table beside her drink before picking up her Butterbeer and taking a sip. Harry withheld a chuckle when Hermione's upper lip was decorated with foam. Taking a napkin, Harry helped clean her mouth, smiling as Hermione blushed prettily underneath.

"Anything else you want to get, Harry?"

"How about we both get what sounds good and then share it?"

With that idea in mind, Hermione ordered a Chicken Fricassee while Harry ordered a large bowl of mixed fruits. To top off their meal, they ended it with dessert, an ice cream bowl with three servings of ice cream – vanilla, chocolate and pistachio. They refilled their drinks along the way, making idle chit chat to get to know each other better.

"How was your summer vacation?"

"Oh, mum and dad took me to Barcelona, Spain. We spent two weeks there and it was absolutely stunning! We saw the Sagrada Familia Basilica, went to a football game at the FC Barcelona's Camp Nou Stadium. Then we went to the Barcelona beaches, the zoo and the aquarium there. Oh! The family hotel was splendid; our room had a balcony so we were able to view the city from our room. Oh – it was just so fantastic." Hermione gushed.

"It's nice to know you've enjoyed your summer." Harry smiled, drinking his Butterbeer.

"How was your summer?"

"Oh, you know. I didn't have to keep living with the Dursleys anymore, so I packed my stuff and moved in with Sirius. Mind you, I had to help him clean up Grimmauld Place so it didn't look so dark and dreary. Living in that kind of atmosphere wouldn't help Sirius's health, so I asked Dobby to gather a couple of Hogwarts house elves to assist us in cleaning the entire building. We did pay them Hermione, don't worry." Harry smiled, quickly diffusing his date's rising temper when she heard Harry using house elves to do manual labor.

"We also decorated the house so it's completely different than before. It's a lot brighter, more airy and more calming. Sirius and I even had a small competition to see who would be the first to remove his mother's paining off the wall." Harry laughed. "But yeah, everything is much better now. Remus tends to stay with us most of the time; I think he rather enjoys spending time in our company. I love to cook, so I cooked every meal. It wasn't surprisingly that both Sirius and Remus had put on an extra stone after summer ended. They even looked healthier after their ordeal. But enough about that, more Butterbeer?"

"Please." Hermione smiled, and their drinks were quickly refilled. She took a sip before the two of them delved into their academic studies and what field they wanted to enter once leaving Hogwarts. Hermione was still on her track of magical creature equality for all, but Harry was now looking quite a bit pensive. He had always thought to follow in his ancestors' footsteps: becoming an Auror, and he even thought about becoming one due to the fact that he was the number one target on Voldemort's list. Now that Voldemort was gone, Harry didn't know what to do. He didn't want to fight anymore; he had never enjoyed fighting. Harry wanted to leave the bad guys to the Aurors, but he wanted to be in a career that was active and so he was in a predicament.

"Why not try becoming a Healer then?"

"A Healer?"

"Yes. You don't want to fight anymore, but with your rising grades, I don't doubt that you won't ace your N.E.W.T.s. To become a Healer, you just need at least five N.E.W.T.s, with a high mark of either 'Outstanding' or 'Exceeds Expectations' at Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"I don't know," Harry frowned. "My potions grades aren't that up to par with the requirements."

Hermione shrugged. "If you don't think you can fulfill the requirements to be a Healer, which I think that you're underestimating yourself, you can try for a professor. You were a pretty good DADA professor last year. We aced our DADA O.W.L.s; even Neville thanked you for that. And besides, you still have an entire year to prepare for our N.E.W.T.s class next year. I think you can get high enough grades for them; plus, we're having study sessions daily, so that also helps."

"I suppose I could, but that would mean dealing with kids all day."

Hermione laughed, before spooning some food into her mouth. "You wouldn't be dealing with kids _all_ day. Just during the times when you have lessons or when they would come to you when they needed help."

"Let's not forget that they'll all have heard of the name _Harry Potter_ , the Savior of the Wizarding World, Defeater of Voldemort. Man, I just wish people wouldn't thank me every time I walk out of the house."

"Can't say I understand Harry." Hermione was sympathetic to his cause. "But I can say that I'll be with you every step of the way."

Harry smiled, a genuine smile that seemed to lighten up his face and eyes. "Ms. Granger, does that mean you'll be with me for a long time?"

Hermione's fingers clasped tightly with his own. "You can say that Mr. Potter, or should I call you Lord Potter-Black?"

"You'll never know if you'll be my future Lady Potter-Black." Harry smiled, feeding Hermione some ice cream before dapping the edges of her mouth.

"I think I'd like my chances." She said, feeding Harry some ice cream as well.

After another order of Beef, Lamb & Guinness Stew and two more refills of Butterbeer, the duo left the Three Broomsticks with happy faces and satisfied stomachs. Hermione had put a stasis charm on the bouquet once they left the Three Broomsticks, smiling softly at the bouquet in her hands. Casting the tempus spell, Harry saw that it was only twelve noon, and so both Harry and Hermione decided to walk around the small village to see what else was there. When Hermione shivered from a cool breeze, Harry immediately took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. He even sent a warming charm just to be sure Hermione wouldn't get cold. He got rewarded with a kiss, which made him all fuzzy inside and smile with a dopey grin on his face.

Hermione had to lead him to Gladrags Wizardwear then. When inside the store, the couple walked around until the store's manager stopped them. They had both blushed when the store's manager had come up to ask if they were getting married and planning to look for a wedding gown in his shop. Harry immediately said that they were still in school, and hadn't even thought that far into their future. Though that had dispelled the awkward situation, Harry and Hermione had refused to look at each other for a while, choosing only to sneak glances at the other. After a few minutes, Hermione stopped and excused herself to get some new clothes to wear. Harry said he would follow her and hold her clothes, like they did in the television shows he'd snuck a peek at when the Dursleys weren't looking. Hermione looked at him fondly before dragging her boyfriend through the store.

To say Harry was a bit frazzled was an understatement. It was his first trip shopping with a girl, much less his girlfriend, and he already felt scared for his life when the clothing pile in his arms grew taller than he did. Thankfully, a store assistant saw his dilemma and offered Harry one of those clothing baskets. He placed all the clothes in there before following Hermione around the store. Half an hour later, he was sitting in front of a changing room, waiting for Hermione to model some of the clothes she had picked out for herself. Harry couldn't help but adjust his legs whenever Hermione wore something that showed her curves, emphasized her chest area, or enhanced the beauty he saw in her. It seemed as if Hermione knew how he felt, because twenty outfits in, the clothes started to appear with less fabric to cover her up and Harry's face started to burn red. He eventually stood up to block Hermione's latest outfit, which was a form fitting plunging V-neck spaghetti string backless green satin dress. Harry could hear murmurs coming from other customers at his girlfriend's appeal, so he shot them all a glare before ushering Hermione back into the changing room.

Thankfully, Hermione deemed that she had gotten what she wanted, if the tent in Harry's slacks were any indication, so the clothes were taken to the cashier. Along the way, Harry had picked up his own clothing consisting of boxers, gloves, and hats for the winter, extra robes, a cloak with a warming charm on it (he picked another one for Hermione) and four more pairs of socks – can't use the ones that Dumbledore had gifted him; who knows what that old coot had placed on those socks. He would order his own wizarding robes stitched with his family crests from Twilfitt and Tattings; not that he didn't appreciate the clothing in Gladrags Wizardwear, but he felt that it would be more fit for a Lord to have the highest quality robes. Harry made a mental note to prepare some clothing stitched with his family crests for his future wives as well.

When the cashier was ringing their merchandise up, Harry went to get a pair of dragonhide boots for Hermione – one that was durable in any sorts of weather and would grow with her size. Thanking Harry with a short kiss to his cheek, Hermione set the boots onto the pile and they waited for the total to come up. Harry immediately wrote out a check for 30 galleons, 6 sickles and 23 knuts before signing his name and sealing the transaction with a stamp of his Lordship ring. Casting a featherlight charm on the bags, Harry shrunk it and pocketed it – refusing Hermione's protest of her being the one to carry them considering Harry had paid for them.

Knowing that Hermione wouldn't stop protesting, Harry immediately shouted, "Look! Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop and Tomes and Scrolls!"

Knowing what her boyfriend was doing, Hermione gave him a mock glare before stomping off into Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. Harry followed quickly behind, gathering Hermione in his arms and rocking her from side to side, muttering how it wouldn't be fair for her to carry their things when Harry wanted to the perfect gentleman on their very first date. With a last pout, Hermione kissed Harry on the cheek once more before dragging the poor Gryffindor around the store to shop. They left the store with two bags full of quills containing Pheasant, Eagle, Peacock, and two Phoenix feathered quills, two refillable ink bottles and four stacks of parchment paper. They soon moved onto Tomes and Scrolls and left, having picked out a few books. Lastly, they went to Honeydukes to stock up on sweets. When they left, Harry was a couple of galleons poorer, but nonetheless happy with his sweets. They immediately caught a carriage back to Hogwarts and arrived at the entrance at nearly four in the afternoon.

Harry walked with Hermione back to Gryffindor tower and up until the staircase to the girls' dormitories. He took out her bags and placed them onto her hands.

"Thanks for the great date Harry." She smiled. "Thanks for the bouquet as well."

"It was my pleasure. I hope we get together again."

"We have the Potions assignment due Wednesday. How about the Saturday after our Quidditch game?"

"All right," Harry conceded. "But then, how about a study date in the library? We could catch up on our other assignments and even read ahead in our classes."

Hermione thought about it, but thought more of being able to spend time with Harry than studying with him. "Okay. We'll have breakfast then head to the library."

Harry smiled. "I look forward to seeing you at our next date."

"We're going to see each other at dinner Harry." Hermione laughed.

"Well, then until then." Harry turned around to head to his dormitory.

"Harry wait." He spun around and Hermione fidgeted before placing her hands onto his shoulders and pulling him down to her.

Harry blinked in surprise when Hermione's lips were softly placed on his own. After a few minutes, her arms wrapped around his neck, drawing his arms to wrap around her waist as they kissed chastely. Before their kiss could turn passionate, they broke apart with a smile.

"Thank you again. For a perfect date." Hermione pecked him on the lips before running up the stairs and closing the door behind her.

Harry floated towards his dormitory, only acknowledging Neville when the Gryffindor had brought him out of his trance.

"You seem like you had a nice time."

"Her lips tasted like caramel." Harry smiled goofily.

"Oh? Wasn't she wearing something of a purple shade when you guys were heading towards the entrance? I walked past you guys but you only had eyes for each other."

"Shhhh Neville. Let me just – just …"

"Why don't you go shower, Harry. You look like you've gotten hit by a Veela's allure." Neville said, ushering the goofily smiling boy into the bathroom.

"I'll have you know, I have never been affected by a Veela's allure," Harry replied.

Half an hour later, Harry walked out refreshed and less dazed.

"Why don't you tell me about your date?"

And Harry spewed out details after details of how their date went – from start to finish. Neville had to laugh when he found out that Harry's elven instincts had gone on overdrive when seeing Hermione wearing such revealing clothes. Harry had to slap him on the back to get him to stop chortling at his bad luck.

"Look at it this way Harry. Now you know that at least Hermione arouses you! You're not asexual at all! Last year with Cho was just bad luck!"

Harry had to scowl before relenting that Hermione did make him feel that way. His elven instincts purred wondering how Hermione would look with her belly round with their child. Harry had to shake his head clear of those thoughts. They only had their first date! No need to jump so far ahead of himself yet!

…..

 **November 8** **th**

It was the first Quidditch inter-house match of the season. The sky was cloudy and grey and the weather forecast was heavy and somewhat frosty wind. Though it was near the end of Autumn, the students could tell that this Winter would be quite nippy.

"All right, is everyone ready?" Harry asked.

His team nodded his head and looked towards him, "Good. Now, I know this is the first match of the season, but we're going to hit Slytherin with all we have. We're going to fly to the skies and win this thing. Ginny, Demelza and Katie will focus on shooting the goals; even if the game ends with the Snitch getting caught, we will win by default if we score more points than the Slytherin's team if they somehow get the Snitch before me. McLaggen, stick to the goals; don't let any quaffles fall through. Jimmy, Ritchie, I need the both of you to keep the beaters away from the girls. McLaggen and I will be fine ourselves, so keep an eye on those bludgers. Now, let's win this thing!"

Katie pretended to wipe a tear from her eye, "Oliver would be so proud of you," she fake sniffled.

Harry broke out into a wide grin and once the gates were opened, fly out of them followed by the rest of his team. After the introduction of the Slytherin team, the introduction of the Gryffindor team came up.

"This is the first match of the season: Slytherin versus Gryffindor! Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote are the new replacements for our twin favorite beaters, Fred and George Weasley! Ginny Weasley and Demelza Robins replace Chasers Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson. Katie Bell remains as the last Chaser! Lastly, in the Keeper position is Cormac McLaggen and finally Harry Potter, Gryffindor's Seeker! Let's see what kind of training this team went through."

Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the players fell into rank. "I want a nice clean game. All of you." She kicked open the Quidditch supply case and the bludgers flew out, followed by the Golden Snitch. With another toot, she threw the Quaffle up in the air and the Chasers swarmed the ball.

"Gryffindor takes possession of the Quaffle! Demelza Robins flies straight to the Slytherin hoops. She swerves past Crabbe who launches a bludger in her direction! Robins quickly ducks before losing her head, she throws the quaffle… AND IT'S IN! GRYFFINDOR TAKES THE LEAD – 10 TO 0!"

The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs in the stand roar with cheer while the Slytherins bemoan the loss of the first ten points. As the quidditch match dragged on longer and longer, the score became Gryffindor 100 to Slytherin 130. Harry's eyes quickly ran across the entire length of the Quidditch field before flittering across the air above him in search of the snitch.

"OH- AND MCLAGGEN LOSES ANOTHER QUAFFLE TO THE SLYTHERINS. THE SCORE IS NOW 100 TO 140 – SLYTHERIN IN THE LEAD."

Calling a time out, Harry landed onto the match before pulling the team in. "What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing McLaggen?! You're losing us the game out there!"

The older Gryffindor scoffed. "I am doing my job perfectly fine, thank you very much. We wouldn't be losing if you've done your job and found the snitch already."

"HEY! Don't blame Harry on us losing now!" Katie cried out. "Just do your stinking job! You're letting the quaffle in!"

"Do your job McLaggen. If I see you heckling any of the team members for doing their job _correctly_ like they're supposed to, I'll have you removed from the team."

"You can't do that!" He cried indignantly.

"Oh really?" Harry's eyes sharpened like steel. "Try me."

"Mr. Potter, is your team ready?" Madam Hooch came walking up.

"Yes Madam Hooch. We're ready."

Nodding her head, she walked back to the center of the quidditch field and waited for the teams to mount their brooms. Blowing on her whistle, she sent them up and after two quick toots, she sent the Quaffle up right after and the game continued.

In half an hour, the score of the match had came to 210 to 220 with Slytherin in the lead. Sure McLaggen had stopped bossing the team around with what he believed their job should entail, but he also didn't bother to hold his own skills up to par, thinking that he was doing a perfect job. With such an arrogant air around him, he was letting in as many goals as the Gryffindor Chasers were scoring.

Harry's eyes roamed the air once more, searching for the snitch, but the little flying golden ball was evading both his and the Slytherin seeker's sight. So instead, Harry flew into the game to intercept and interrupt some of the Slytherin's plays, pulling up alongside Katie to tell her about his plan.

He soon flew out of the game, hovering in the air. Slowly counting backwards, he hit zero when the sound of a whistle echoed throughout the Quidditch Pitch.

"Slytherin foul – Chaser Bell – two free throws." Madam Hooch declared, holding up a yellow card to a scowling Slytherin Chaser and Slytherin Captain, Montague. The Slytherins booed while the rest of the students cheered at the extra free points.

Katie caught Harry's eyes and she discretely nodded her head. While she took her time to take the shots, Harry's emerald green eyes were darting back and forth, scouring the entirety of the Quidditch pitch, both low and high, to find the golden snitch.

"220 TO 220; GRYFFINDOR AND SLYTHERIN ARE TIED."

Finally pinpointing the snitch, which was ironically near Hermione at the Gryffindor stand – it could have possibly been attracted to her gold locket. Catching Katie's eyes once more, Harry nodded his head and Katie threw the quaffle hard, snapping her wrist and sending the quaffle into a curved path as it flew through the right hoop after rebounding again the metal ring.

Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the game continued, "230 TO 220; GRYFFINDOR IN THE LEAD WITH TEN POINTS."

Once the first whistle had reached Harry's ears, he pulled back and aimed his Firebolt towards the Gryffindor stand where his eyes were pinned on the golden snitch. It still hadn't moved from its position yet, but Harry had no doubt that it would move once it realized that it was being chased.

"HARRY POTTER HAS MADE A MOVE! HAS HE FINALLY FOUND THE SNITCH?!"

Gritting his teeth from the harsh and face biting wind that was practically cutting across any uncovered skin, Harry and his broom shot towards the snitch's location. He ignored the loud commentary, knowing full well that the Slytherin's seeker was trailing behind him about ten feet away. It sucked that the two weren't far from each other before Katie had created the most opportune moment for a penalty, but Harry knew that he had found the snitch before his opponent and just that had given him an advantage.

Harry dove in and out between Chasers, incidentally breaking up the Slytherin Chaser's flight pattern – unknowingly creating an opportunity for Demelza to gather the Quaffle in her arm before darting off to the Slytherin hoops. He spun in a corkscrew, dodging the Bludgers that the Slytherin Beaters had sent towards him. He was only twenty feet away from the Snitch when it decided to awake from its lazy flight and dart down towards the Quidditch field.

Harry and the Slytherin seeker followed after, side by side. They exchanged glances before trying to push each other from their track, yet it was such a cliché moment when the golden snitch pulled up five feet from the ground, only to pull a U-turn and return to Hermione's side. Harry easily executed a Wronski Feint and followed through in a U-turn, while his opponent pelted into the ground, even when he had attempted to pull up a few feet before Harry did.

Leaving Harry without any distractions, he easily caught the snitch proudly in one hand, hovering directly in front of Hermione. She, along with their friends, cheered for Gryffindor's victory, "400 TO 230! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

The students clamored from the stands, yet it was the Gryffindor Quidditch team that had reached Harry first, hoisting him up onto their shoulders as they careened him through the jostling crowd.

Harry motioned for them to set him down before he walked up to Montague.

"Great game," He said, raising a hand up.

Montague looked at him with a raised eyebrow before he smirked, clasping his hand with Harry's for a handshake. "Same." He left the Quidditch field with the rest of the Slytherin team trailing behind him.

"Gryffindor! Gryffindor! Gryffindor!" The remaining students chanted, following after the Quidditch team as they made their way through the castle and up Gryffindor Tower.

"Butterbeers all around!" Seamus shouted, with an arm in the air, hand occupied with a mug of Butterbeer.

The Gryffindor Quidditch team was flushed red with adrenaline and happiness, having started off the Quidditch season with a good score. It was all thanks to the Board of Governors, excluding Harry himself, and the professors at Hogwarts that they had removed all of Umbridge's stupid educational degree and her lifetime at Hogwarts' ban for Harry that the Quidditch team had gotten a good opportunity to play their favorite game.

Of course, Harry ignored all the festivities, shaking hands here and there with a smile on his face as he made his way over to Hermione who had taken shelter in a dimly lit corner of the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Why don't you go celebrate with them?" She asked, peering up from her tome.

' _Ah, good old Hermione.'_ Harry thought fondly. He intertwined their fingers together and set their clasped hands on his lap, leaving Hermione's only free hand to flip the pages as she continued to read.

"The Gryffindors won the first match. Sure I caught the snitch, but I'm not really the type –"

"- To bask in the limelight," Hermione finished, laughing.

"Right." Harry grinned. "But we could've gotten a larger gap if it weren't for McLaggen. I think I'm going to start up another team tryout – just for Keeper, of course."

"Wouldn't it make sense to have tryouts for the rest of the team? You're only going to be in Hogwarts for one more year."

Harry's eyes brightened at the prospect, "Right you are, Hermione. Why didn't I think of that? I'll create a reserve team and create a reserve team for the reserve team! That way, my legacy will live on long after I have graduated from Hogwarts!"

Scoffing at her boyfriend's immature handling of the Quidditch situation, Hermione deftly ignored all the cacophonic noises in the Lion's Den as she continued on reading.

The night soon came and dinnertime soon arrived – relieving the heated atmosphere of its rambunctious Gryffindors. Together, Harry and Hermione walked hand-in-hand towards the Great Hall to take their meal.

As they walked through the castle, students from other houses, bar Slytherin, had come up to congratulate the Gryffindor Seeker for a job well done. Harry thanked them with a smile before waving them off as he walked away.

Hermione turned her head when she heard him sigh, "Not fond of being the center of attention?"

Harry looked at her with a droll expression, "Of course not."

…..

 **November 15** **th**

As promised the Saturday after first inter-house Quidditch game had led Hermione and Harry into the library. Technically, it wasn't their first time having a study session together, because throughout the entire week, they had gotten together during their free periods and breaks to study. However, today is the "official" first study date together. They sat at a small table available for only two of them. Though the table space was small, it meant that Harry and Hermione were able to sit closer together, even if they had less room to place their textbooks and parchment paper onto the table.

"So what's the topic about?"

Hermione frowned, swatting Harry's leg when he continued on to play footsy with her. "We have to write a sixteen inch long essay about the uses, benefits, advantages and side effects of the Polyjuice Potion. Then write how the ingredients in the steps listed would be able to work properly to create the potion."

"Man, I hate Snape."

" _Professor_ Snape," Hermione corrected. She frowned once more when Harry decided to play footsy _and_ throw an arm onto her chair. Then again, it wasn't as if she were rejecting his advances; if anything, she was liking the attention and the physical contact.

"And he isn't that horrible when you compare him to Umbridge."

"Um- _bitch_ , Hermione." Harry corrected, earning an eye roll from his girlfriend.

After their first date, it had taken less than a day for Hogwarts to know that Hermione was unofficially-officially Harry's first girlfriend, who would eventually uphold the title as Lady Potter. The only one that seemed to be having problems with dealing with Hermione being Lady Potter was Ginny, but with the Aurors following after her underneath a Disillusionment charm, the redhead really couldn't get close to the couple. Neither could Ron. In fact, he had tried once, but the Aurors quickly apprehended him after he tried to violate the terms of the Restraining Order he had signed upon returning to Hogwarts. At least his sister was smart enough not to get within Harry's vicinity.

However, it didn't stop other female students from trying to win Harry's heart; they knew that Hermione would become Lady Potter, but they still had a try at becoming a Lady of one of the other six houses left to Harry's name. Day after day, female students would brush up against Harry in an "accident" as they proclaimed, only to apologize flirtatiously and seduce him with promises, which easily fell through considering Harry would ignore their advances. If he was with Hermione, he would remove them from his person before returning to her side, holding hands with the Gryffindor girl. If he was alone, he was quickly, but awkwardly push them off with a small crooked smile, declining their suggestions before walking off.

Yet, they had stopped for a short period of time when, in the middle of the week, Hedwig had flown towards Hermione with a small package. Upon opening it, Hermione gasped when she saw what was inside. Inside the red velvet box was a 18K gold Katelynn four picture locket. It was outlined with deeply embedded gold engravings along with diamonds that circled the center-engraved cursive letter 'H'. A 20 inch Colby 18K yellow wheat chain was connected to it, which Hermione immediately asked Harry to help her put on. Hermione had kissed him in the Great Hall, uncaring that everyone would see their public display of affection.

When asked why Harry would buy her such an expensive gift, Harry had stated that, by following the Wizarding customs and traditions, he was to get her a present every day for the next two weeks to show that his intention to court her were true and pure. Harry even told her that he didn't want her to want for naught and so money was never a problem should she require anything she wished. Hermione blushed happily at that answer before holding his hand and returning to her breakfast. The last three days, including this Saturday, had had Harry gift Hermione a pair of studded ruby earrings on Thursday, a diamond bracelet on Friday and today, another bouquet of flowers with a note that said, "I'd like to invite you to have dinner with me in the Room of Requirement." Accepting his invitation, Hermione and Harry quickly ate their breakfast and headed over to the library – which is where they currently were.

"It's a good thing you've brewed the Polyjuice potion in second year right?" Harry smiled.

"It's also a good thing that we've experienced it – enough that we'd be able to write about it without having to look at the textbook." Hermione stated, her thesis statement already written out at the top of the page. "Come on Harry. If you want to have dinner tonight, we need to get all our work done."

"We're still going to have another study date tomorrow though, right?"

"If that is what you wish Lord Potter."

"That isn't the only thing I wish." Harry whispered under his breath when his imagination had run wild at her statement.

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing. So, the first step of the Polyjuice Potions is to add 3 measure of Fluxweed to the cauldron, Fluxweed that must have been picked on a full moon…"

…..

By the time it was six o'clock in the evening, Harry and Hermione had gone through their Potions essay, Transfiguration assignment, Charms wandwork, checked over both their Ancient Runes and Arithmancy assignment (because Harry had decided to take these classes after third year), and finally read ahead for all of the classes. They packed up, said goodbye to Madam Pince and rushed to the Gryffindor Tower to get ready. By the time they had gone down to the Gryffindor Common Room, they were the only two left and so they made their way to the Room of Requirement.

Inside, the ground was a grassy green and the ceiling a nice starry night. The temperature wasn't blistering hot, but it was warm enough for light clothing. There were lines and lines of lantern hanging five feet above their heads and classical music playing softly in the background. In the middle of the room sat a mahogany square table about four sq. feet, covered with a white tablecloth and two, espresso cushioned, dining chairs. On top of the table was a softly lit candelabrum siting a few inches at the edge of the table, two empty sets of dishware accompanied with empty glass champagne flutes and a red folded napkin.

"How did you -?" Hermione gasped, her eyes lit with awe. Her anticipation further increased when Harry produced a single red rose from behind his back and handed it over to her. She took it with loving care, noticing how the thorns had been cut off to prevent any pricks to her finger.

"I had Dobby help me arrange for the food and the table setting. He's more familiar with that than I am. I had this all planned out in a week, because I wanted to have another date with you after our little study date. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not!" Hermione smiled. Harry led her to the table and like a perfect gentleman, helped her into her seat before he took his own.

Dobby immediately popped in with a bottle for them and Hermione couldn't help but gush at his cute little waiter's outfit. With a stammered thanks and blush to his cheeks, Dobby poured their glasses full with sparkling pink grapefruit and pomegranate soda before disappearing.

Left to their own devices, Hermione could only look around with a bright smile on her face. Harry on the other hand was staring at Hermione, happy that she liked what she saw.

"You look gorgeous tonight." Harry said, and it was true. Hermione had done her hair up in a bun with a braid wrapped around it, leaving a few strands of curled hair to frame her face. She had on wine-colored eye shadow accompanied by mauve colored blush and periwinkle lipstick. Hermione had worn Harry's gifts of the locket, the ruby studded earrings and the diamond bracelet. She had also worn a dress that she had gotten on their trip to Gladrags Wizardwear: a form fitting strapless sweetheart white mid-thigh length dress with black floral designs all across the flared bottom half of the outfit. Hermione's generous assets were clearly accentuated from the looks of it; Harry's eyes kept darting back to her cleavage no matter how hard he looked away. Ending her outfit was a simple pair of black heels.

"You look great too." Hermione smiled. Harry only had on a black sleeveless vest over a white buttoned down shirt, black slacks and the black dragonhide boots he wore last week on their date. He didn't think he looked that good, but he accepted her compliment nonetheless.

"So you've been planning this date for a week, huh?"

"I thought you'd like to take a break from studying once in a while. While we are studying to get into N.E.W.T.s classes, it's always good to take a little break."

"That's very considerate of you." Hermione said, taking a sip of the drink and placing the champagne flute back down onto the table.

Harry watched Hermione's glistening lips move under the light, more focused on how beautiful and kissable they were as opposed to what she was actually saying.

"Harry?"

"Sorry, I just couldn't help but stare at your lips." He blurted out, face flushing at his confession.

Hermione smiled slyly at him before leaving her chair and slipping onto his seat. "Do you have a better view?" She asked, her arms draped over his shoulders, fingers playing with his hair.

Harry had to look down at her and couldn't stop his eyes from drifting elsewhere. Hermione was giving him such a seductive view of her kissable, tempting lips and her glorious, well-endowed breasts. It didn't help that his arms were wrapped around her curvy, slim waist, holding her in place so she didn't slip from his lap. Though they had touched hands many times, even brushing their arms against one another and giving short chaste kisses when no one was looking, Hermione sitting in Harry's lap was the first time they had gotten closer to being intimate with each other.

Hermione wriggled around to be comfortable, which set off Harry's libido. Oh, the brunette witch had felt it all right, if Hermione's sudden gasp were any indication. The size of that monster hidden underneath two flimsy pieces of cloth made her moist between her legs. She squirmed at the feeling simmering at the pit of her stomach, unknowingly setting off a chain of reaction from Harry. He had pumped his hips up at her as she squirmed and they both moaned at the feeling. Knowing that Harry was getting an erection from her, by her, _because_ of her made Hermione feel really hot, sexy, beautiful and most importantly, _wanted_.

Harry had had enough and tipped her chin up to catch her lips. From a pleasantly chaste kiss, they quickly escalated to a full on passionate kiss – one with lips molded against the other, tongues battling within the two mouths and teeth clicking against each other when their kiss got a little hot and heavy. They only pulled away to take deep breaths before diving right back into the kiss. Being more intimate with each other rather than acting like a shy schoolboy and schoolgirl made their experience all the more better – knowing that they were ready to take the next step in their relationship (even if it had only been a week after their official first date).

Harry pulled away from the kiss, loving the little whine that Hermione let escape when she couldn't quite follow him. He rearranged Hermione on his lap, allowing her legs to hang off each side before he pulled her close, chest against chest, and plundered her mouth.

Hermione was letting off sexy sounds that consisted of mewls, moans, and ragged breaths. Her constantly brushing of her chest against Harry's set off Harry's hips once more to thrust upward. Feeling how hard Harry was, Hermione ground down against his tented erection and enjoyed the rumbling moan Harry let out by her ear. Her hands slid up against Harry's arms, moaning at the feel of rippling muscles underneath the cloth.

When Hermione decided that she wanted more contact, she dragged one of Harry's hands from her waist and placed it onto her breast. He pulled away breathing heavily with a glazed look in his eyes, "A-Are you sure?"

Hermione pulled him into another kiss, giving her permission. And the kiss became more sensual with Hermione's hands gripping and running through Harry's hair as Harry's hands roamed the span of Hermione's body. He would squeeze her breasts and even rub her nipples through the dress, but he would not attempt to go further. And for that, Hermione appreciated it. Shivering at each other's warm and hot breath, they enjoyed their kiss with a passionate fervor, hips grinding against one another, chests pressed tightly together, lips molded against one another and hands running up and down each other's backs.

Hermione's grinding increased Harry's thrusting, which increased their pleasure up to a beyond comparable degree. Their moans got louder and Hermione's grinding got harder and eventually, a burst of white light blinded them from behind closed eyelids. They broke off moaning loudly, before their hips slowly stopped rubbing together, the friction slowly dissipating. Harry looked into Hermione's teary brown eyes, her red lips bruised with heavy kissing and felt the wetness in his pants and of Hermione's panties.

Hermione couldn't quite remove herself from Harry's lap, her first orgasm completely taking away her energy. But she didn't mind; she felt Harry's flaccid cock through his wet slacks and gave him a small kiss.

"T-That's for tonight." She breathed, catching her breath. "As thanks."

She enjoyed the smile on Harry's face as they shared a shorter and sweeter kiss. "If you're going to thank me like this after or during each date, please do." Harry chuckled, his chest vibrating pleasantly against Hermione's.

With a laugh, Hermione waved her wand to clean them of their previous activities before returning to her seat. They had finally moved past what people would call "first base"; hopefully now they were a lot closer to each other with the use of expressive intimate gestures. After taking a few sips of their drinks to calm themselves – more like calm their raging hormones – Dobby apparated in with the first dish of the meal: appetizers such as fish and chips and pecan tassies. Small talk was made throughout the meal as dish after dish appeared. After the appetizers were cranberry spinach salad, shrimp lemon pepper linguini and shepherd's pie. Then for dessert, steamed lemon pudding with treacle sauce. Lastly was a medium sized bowl full of strawberries with their own little small pot of bubbling chocolate fondue.

It was this last dish that sent their hormones raging once more as Harry watched Hermione lick the chocolate off the strawberry in a sexual way and Hermione watched Harry bit into the strawberry as if he were giving it a kiss. With the last dish out of the way half an hour later, the room changed to a crackling fireplace with a loveseat in front. A white throw was draped over the top of the loveseat as well. Wrapping themselves up in the blanket provided, the couple continued their passionate kisses until Harry had pushed Hermione over and onto her back. Hovering over his girlfriend, Harry watched as the light from the fireplace danced over her feminine features.

Hermione stared up at Harry, her chest heaving with every breath she took. Her legs automatically opened a little wider, allowing Harry to fit better between her and eventually their kisses had continued, included with the thrusting and grinding of hips. They knew that their hormones were taking control, but it felt too good, too heavenly to stop the feeling. And moments later, another explosion erupted and they were left tired but satisfied.

"T-That was good." Hermione whispered.

"I wouldn't mind," Harry cleared his throat, "doing that again."

"Neither would I," agreed Hermione.

…..

Their night had ended on a happy note as they made their way to Gryffindor tower. Harry and Hermione both knew they were moving pretty fast. They had been friends for six years and had crushes on each other for the same amount of time. However, it was only a week ago that they had "acknowledged" the other's feelings and had gotten together. Nonetheless, for the next couple of weeks, they had their weekly dates to Hogsmeade on Saturday and "official" study dates on Sundays and whenever possible throughout the week. Harry and Hermione didn't think that spending time together studying during the week during their free periods or breaks would count as a fitting date. It was more of getting used to each other's presence now that they were in a relationship. Furthermore, they were slowly learning more about each other than the friendship barrier they had had for the past six years could ever provide for them.

The remaining courting time, which was ten days, had Harry sending Hermione gifts such as chocolate or any sort of sweets, energizing drinks for whenever Hermione would get too tired, a stack of free "Your wish is my command" coupons for Hermione to use for whenever she wanted Harry to do something and accessories that Harry had picked out for Hermione whenever they had gone out to Hogsmeade and he saw her looking wistfully at certain items. On the last day of the courting process, Harry had gifted a simple white platinum promise ring – solidifying his explicit wish for Hermione to become his official girlfriend to show that they were now in a solid and committed relationship. When she accepted, their friends had exploded with cheers for them. Even the professors had congratulated them; Severus only gave Harry a nod, a small smile on his face. If there was anyone that deserved happiness, it was definitely Harry Potter.

…..

 **November 28** **th**

It was in the middle of Charms that Harry felt his lordship ring warm up – warning him of a meeting starting at the Wizengamot. Quickly alerting Professor Flitwick of his leave, Harry ran towards the Gryffindor Tower, quickly throwing on his formal wizarding robes once he entered his dormitory. Afterwards, he made his way to the Headmaster's office where Professor McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress, was. Harry had already sent Fawkes to pick up Sirius because Harry had asked his godfather to be the proxy for the Black seat. Harry then told Professor McGonagall of his need to leave and she allowed him to use the floo to head to the Ministry. Harry checked his appearance one last time before entering the fireplace and disappearing into the floo system.

Upon leaving the floo, Harry continued walking, smiling inwardly when he had not flopped down onto the floor like a fish out of water. He made his way to Courtroom 10 where his wand was checked and he was allowed inside. Taking his seat as the Potter member of the Wizengamot, Harry nodded his head at Sirius who sat beside him and watched as the light he tapped turned on for all the seats he had claimed. Slowly in five minutes, everyone was seated and the meeting began.

"The first order of business, we must have a new elected Minister. Our Ministry cannot keep going without a leader." Lennon Traps, a male Wizengamot member in his late forties said.

"I, Harry James Potter-Black, nominate Amelia Bones." Harry said, smiling when he shocked the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

"I, Sirius Orion Black, second the nomination." The Black seat in the Wizengamot also lit for pro-Amelia as the new Minister of Magic.

Augusta Longbottom, acting proxy for the Longbottom seat in the Wizengamot followed up by lighting her own light – broadcasting a nice green light. Pretty soon, 4/5ths of the courtroom was lit up with green lights; the ones who broadcasted a red light were definitely Dumbledore's mindless followers – but there weren't a lot of them left, only about a handful of them were still in the Wizengamot.

The gavel knocked three times. "Amelia Susan Bones is now the new Minister of Magic."

Applause were given all around as Amelia took her position at the head of the Wizengamot. She gave her speech about rounding up the last of the remaining Death Eaters that had evaded the Aurors. Soon after, she announced Percy Weasley as the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. Kingsley Shacklebolt was then deemed the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who then declared Nymphadora Tonks to be Head of the Auror Department; Alastor Moody would be very proud of her. Then the Wizengamot began to discuss Hogwarts.

"We need a new Headmaster. To lead our children to become the best in the country, in the nation. Someone who is unbiased and just."

"I believe that would be under the jurisdiction of the Hogwarts Board of Governors." Harry stated.

"Respect your elders boy! Just because you're Lord Potter –"

"I understand that age does not matter in regards to dealing with the affairs of the Wizengamot. So please, Lord Rivers, contain yourself. And as for the Wizengamot deciding who is to become the new Headmaster, might I remind you that what Fudge's decision has caused during fifth year? More than ¾ths of the students at Hogwarts had been in detention with Dolores Umbridge and they have come out harmed because she had used a blood quill. I, myself, was a victim to her blood quill. Furthermore, with each additional educational decree as stated by the High Inquisitor, Umbridge helped to further separate the Slytherin house from their peers when Hogwarts should be a school of unity between all _four_ houses – something that not even Dumbledore has tried to attain even if he preached it in his annual start-of-term speech. Additionally, Umbridge has also condescending to students and teachers alike – especially if they were not pureblooded. Therefore –"

"How can you say she was bias against anyone who was not a pureblood? Just because you're a half-blood."

"I did not realize that interruptions were allowed when a Lord was speaking." Harry stated, before Lord Rivers sat back in his seat and frowned at Harry. "Thank you. And to answer your question, Lord Rivers, might I remind you that I was one of two students whom Umbridge had taken into the Forbidden Forest, only to find that she spat on the Centaur race, just because they were lower than purebloods – definitely lower than muggleborns and half-bloods such as herself. One might ponder on that fact – why would Umbridge demean half-blood and muggleborns, when she herself was a half-blood? But that's beside the point. Now, as I was saying, Dolores Umbridge would spout off nonsense that would be supported by her words that Fudge was the one to allow further progression of her cruel nature towards teachers and students."

"What she was doing was for the _best_ of Hogwarts!"

"And you are saying that Educational Decree Number Twenty-Two: The Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if – and only if – the Headmaster is unable to find one, is for the _best_ of Hogwarts? Might I remind you that Hogwarts teaching positions are under the jurisdiction of the Hogwarts Board of Governors. I did not think that the Ministry of Magic was allowed to supersede their authority."

The members of the Wizengamot that were anti-Dumbledore and pro-Ministry fell silent with a scowl.

"How about Educational Decree Number Twenty-Five? The High Inquisitor will henceforth have supreme authority over all punishments, sanctions and removal of privileges pertaining to the students of Hogwarts, and the power to alter such punishments, sanctions and removals of privileges as may have been placed by other staff members. It is because of this decree that allowed Umbridge full reign of Hogwarts' detentions – which led to all students from year one to seven to undergo the treatment of the Blood Quill – an illegal item that Umbridge was able to attain without the Minster's knowledge."

"I believe that the members of the Wizengamot understand that Hogwarts is not under the Ministry's jurisdiction any longer, Lord Potter." Amelia smiled.

"Thank you Minister Bones. As a governor on the Hogwarts Board of Governors, I will make it my duty to change the school's system – to better it, to bring back forgotten subjects and classes and to make Hogwarts up to standards. We will not be seen as a backwards system any longer."

…..

"How was the meeting?" asked Hermione. They had found Harry at dinner, sitting at the Gryffindor table with several scrolls of parchment paper in front of him; his plate was pushed to the side.

"Can't say. I'm sorry Hermione." Harry said, kissing Hermione on the cheek before focusing on the parchment paper itself.

Judging by the look on Hermione's face, it seemed that she had quickly connected the dots based on what Harry had written on the parchment paper.

"Can't say it." Harry reminded her, but with Hermione, Neville and Luna besides him, the quartet threw out ideas that would help Harry at his first Board of Governors meeting in about a week.

…..

[1] I really have no idea if Harry had gotten his first detention with Umbridge that specific Halloween, but I just wanted a full list of all the things that had gone wrong together. Sorry!

[2] _Amaryllis_ flowers: symbolize splendid beauty; worth beyond beauty

[3] _Carnation_ : red for love, pride and admiration, and white for innocence and pure love

[4] _Gladiolus_ : symbolizes strength of character, faithfulness and honor; signifies remembrance

[5] _Orchids_ : symbolizes exotic beauty, refinement, thoughtfulness and mature charm; also symbolizes proud and glorious femininity

A/N: All righty my dear readers! There you have it! First pick of the girlfriends: HERMIONE GRANGER! Now, as I have pointed out in the beginning of the story, I have _SEVEN_ seats to be fulfilled. Please post in your reviews which other people should be included! Now that Hermione's going to be Lady Potter (due to my personal choice), the opening seats are for Black, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Peverell, LeFey and Merlin. I have some sort of options for the next two candidates as Harry's spouse though, just putting it out there!

Also, I know some of you might think that they're moving so fast, considering they've only had 2 "dates", but come on! They've known each other for six years, they're both sixteen, hormonally driven and spent time with each other almost every single day. If they don't move so fast, I don't know what's going to happen. Thank you all for reading my story! R&R (:


	8. Christmas Holidays

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

A/N: Also, the end of first term is usually about a week before Christmas; shortly after January 1st, Hogwarts Express returns and it's the start of second term (found it at hp (dash)

Chapter 8

~ Christmas Holidays ~

"The Board of Governors meeting is now in session."

"The issue being called to attention is the candidacy for the position as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"I think that we should talk about the school system in general. I have several issues regarding our academics and even if we haven't reached a unanimous decision, we can think about it over the next month." Harry stated. In front of him, there were already several piles of parchment paper with his ideas listed.

"I think we should address the Headmaster situation first, Lord Potter-Black. Then we can move onto your ideas." Lucius Malfoy said. The blonde wizard had been a spy to the Light side, admitted when doused with Veritaserum. His reason for joining Voldemort was because of something that his father, Abraxus Malfoy, had done. The deceased Lord Malfoy had called upon family magic to bind Lucius's wishes and actions, limiting his freedom in everything he did. Therefore, with Lucius seemingly like a mindless drone, Abraxus had forced his son to take the Dark Mark and swear fealty to Voldemort. But once Abraxus had died a few years after Draco's birth due to Dragonpox, the magic was broken. And when Voldemort had resurrected, Lucius had told Severus whom told Dumbledore that Lucius had changed sides to better protect his family. And when everything was revealed to the Wizengamot, Lucius was sentenced to be under Auror supervision for five years, the first of the year was to prohibit his use of magic for anything other than arriving at Wizengamot and School Board meetings.

His wife Narcissa Malfoy née Black, however, had immediately left him alone to deal with the Dark Lord. She would rather be busy with her side lovers in the other countries than stand firmly by Lucius's side; then again, Lucius always knew she was a gold digger – Draco did so as well. Oh, Lucius was planning on divorcing her, no matter how badly the _Daily Prophet_ or any other media was going to spin the news.

Right now, standing behind Lucius were two seasoned Aurors. They were standing at attention but a silence ward was thrown over the entire meeting so they couldn't hear them.

"I believe we should hand the Headmaster position over to one of the professors. However, by doing so, we have increased the workload for that professor."

"So what are you suggesting?" Augusta asked. She was sitting two seats away from Harry.

"I suggest a change in staff, perhaps? What I mean is to have professors stay as professors and have four new witches or wizards, with their backgrounds completely and thoroughly checked before hiring them to become the new Heads of Houses."

"The Heads of Houses are always and have always been selected professors of the core courses."

"It is because of this that the professors, or at least in Gryffindor's case, is unable to meet up with Professor McGonagall. Let's use her as an example. Professor McGonagall is the Transfiguration Professor; she is also the Head of Gryffindor House _and_ is the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts. Three different positions, three different job skills, and less time to be with her students the way professors should be. Furthermore, because the professors have more than the one job they've been hired to do, have you seen any students as their apprentices? Have you seen any students attempt to do their Masteries in Britain? No. According to my research, if any apprenticeships are happening, it is either self-searched for or occurring within the schools of Durmstrang and Beauxbatons."

"So are you saying, our only choice in the matter is choosing a new Headmaster or Headmistress along with someone to fill in the Deputy position or choosing someone to fill in the Head of House positions?"

"That is not the only choice. Please remember that we can also hire assistants for the professors for each subject. Here," Harry passed a packet of seven sheets to each School Board member.

"On page 3, you can see that if we have at least two assistants per professor, their jobs will be much easier and less stressful. Also, the next point is that we can also hire more well educated professors for each subject – the subject matter of revamping classes have their own designated idea on page 6. However, we can also increase the number of classes – meaning, we should bring back the classes that Dumbledore had dismissed during his time as Headmaster of Hogwarts. With several new courses available for the students, there should be a better student to professor ratio. Because the new courses will most likely be fourth year and up, we will only need one professor per class. Taking Hogwarts' financial issue into account, we can increase the tuition to hire new professors. With the introduction of more qualified professors and new courses, we can generate a higher student population. After all, there are practically tens of rooms, if not hundreds, of empty rooms that are sitting around collecting dust."

"What about the students that cannot afford the increase of tuition?"

"I also have taken that in mind. We can create scholarships for students who really need it, on the condition that they must be in the top five of the school's rankings for their respective year. This will not only benefit the students, but will also increase Hogwarts' grade system with eager students having their tuition paid. It will also boost competitiveness within the study body, for those who, not only wish to have a good job after graduation, but also wish to pursue a mastery in their career with a Master themselves. And if you are not satisfied with hiring new and more professors, you can just hire tutors for each subject to help benefit the students. It will be their own choice as to whether or not they will visit the tutor when they need help in a specific course."

"Where will you get the funds if there are none to sustain such a proposal?" Augusta Longbottom asked.

"If I may be so bold, I humbly ask for the people sitting in the seats as the Board of Governors to help fund this. If you turn to page 10, I have composed a chart, with my estimates, of your annual salaries. All I ask is for your assistance of 1% of your salaries; I myself, because I have suggested such a project, will maintain a consistent 5%, or any extra capital that will require my support."

"You really have this all thought out." Sirius smiled, as he flipped through the packet.

"Yes. I've found many holes in the academia when Dumbledore had come into position. Besides, we can exorcise Binns to procure a better History of Magic professor, considering there are only a handful of students who actually pay attention in his class – myself not included. Plus, with a new teacher taking Professor Binns' position, the students will actually pay attention to the history of magic rather than just self-studying for other historical events while Binns prefers to teach them Goblin Wars."

"We will think on this." Lucius announced, putting the packet to the side. The other members of the Board of Governors mimicked his action. "Getting back to the point of this meeting, it is still the position as Headmaster of Hogwarts. Who should it be?"

"I think we should leave it empty for now. Seeing as how Professor McGonagall is the Deputy Headmistress and as such, she can act as a figurehead and handle the work until the end of the year. This way, there won't be any confusion and we can start the transition for the following year."

"Any other suggestions?"

"I still say we should decide on the system that I've illustrated before coming to a decision. We don't want to work our professors too hard and I doubt any of them have taken a sabbatical. Therefore, with this plan, we can have many professors, many courses to offer for potential students, a large student population and with the large number of professors available, we can have more professors take on potential muggle born first years rather than sending the Head of Houses to them each year. Different perspectives are welcome in the Wizarding World. With Voldemort finally gone, we can make a change."

…..

With the war over, Voldemort gone, Dumbledore in Azkaban with Molly Weasley, Harry was a very happy, happy teenager. He didn't even let the remaining Weasley brood get him down. They were being watched over by Aurors, but he didn't let his guard down.

Harry's grades were rising favorably – he was in the top ten rankings among the sixth years – he had loyal friends, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood, and he had a wonderful, talented, intelligent and beautiful girlfriend, one Hermione Granger. But Harry knew that he needed to find six more people to complete his – as the _Daily Prophet_ had called it – harem. That word made Harry tick with anger. But Hermione was fine with his future partners; she just wanted Harry to be happy because she knew he wanted it just as much as everyone was guaranteed to have grown up with it.

The past month had gone by with no trouble. Knowing how they had quickly jumped to petting after just two dates, Harry and Hermione had decided to slow down their ministrations, but it only worked for two weeks. With their continuous daily meetings for study sessions and their weekly dates at Hogsmeade or just a study date at the library, the accidental touches had led to bolder activities. After remembering how pleasurable it was their activities were during their second date, Harry and Hermione had taken to hiding in the dark alcoves, setting up disillusionment charms, notice-me-not spells, privacy wards and silence charms around them to hide their presence away from prying eyes.

Of course, this allowed them to be as loud as they wished and for them to continue their activities whenever they wanted. They were hooked on the gratifying feeling that came with their activities, but it didn't cause their grades to drop and so they continued it frequently. Most recently, their activities had led to groping between clothing, but that was as far as it had gotten. Harry's relationship with Hermione had sped up quickly as they were now used to touching each other and having public displays of affection. Though, they had yet to say the three most important words, words that would change the way their relationship was: I love you.

It wasn't that Harry or Hermione were afraid of what the other was feeling. They already had schoolboy and schoolgirl crushes on each other since their first year. It was just a matter of time, situation and place where they had been able to end up together; that time was after the trials that Harry had gone to near the end of October. So for now, these past two months, Harry and Hermione were happy with their relationship growing and their feelings flourishing. They knew what the other felt; they didn't need the words of confirmation, but hearing it would make their feelings more concrete, more… real.

It was the last two weeks before the end of their fall term. Their two weeks were filled with studying exams before their winter holidays arrived. Together, Harry and Hermione had created a small study group to study with their friends and other people from other houses. Their study group had managed to acquire many classmates and had grown a considerable size. Even some Slytherins had joined their weekly study sessions, but the house all together was still quite iffy about spreading out. Even when Draco, Blaise and Theo were seen quite often with Harry and his friends, the Slytherin-Gryffindor house rivalry had yet to dissolve. But the 3/4ths of the students at Hogwarts could see that the Slytherin house had relaxed now that Voldemort was gone, and Dumbledore wasn't subtly expressing anti-Slytherin propaganda.

Oh, the students knew. Even the professors did as well, though they didn't stop it and they had biases of their own. Albus Dumbledore highly favored the Gryffindor house – which explained the additional points given to the Golden Trio for their "special services" to the school, and their slap-on-the-wrist light punishments for things that a Slytherin or any other house would've gotten points taken off, detentions lined up, and letters sent home to their parents. Now that Dumbledore was gone from the school, and Severus had taken his place – with Professor McGonagall's encouragement, the students were now less likely to jinx the other students from other houses, less fights erupted between houses and the students were more likely to intermingle with one another.

…..

 **December 11** **th**

"Harry, where are you going for the winter?" Hermione asked.

The couple was cuddling in front of the fireplace; Hermione was sitting on Harry's lap.

"I'm not sure. I haven't travelled anywhere at all. I might take Sirius and Remus out on vacation. I'd love for you to join me! Your parents can come with us too."

"Really?!" Hermione smiled, "I've love for you to meet them! We've gotten so serious after all. They're already asking for you after I've sent them the first letter of us dating and having our first date."

"I don't mind meeting them," answered Harry. "Nervous, but I'd love to see the people who gave birth to such a wonderful and perfect girlfriend."

"Oh you." giggled Hermione, wrapping her arms tighter around Harry's waist, feeling his arms do the same to hers.

They sat together in comfortable silence and when Hermione shivered, Harry sent another, " _Incendio_ " at the fireplace, and another warming charm over the blanket that covered them.

"Any place you plan on going to? I've never travelled before, so some suggestions are helpful."

"Why don't we spend a couple of days in each place? I'm sure you can arrange for that to happen."

"Right. I think I'll send a letter to Sirius and have him deal with that then."

Together, Hermione and Harry finished writing up their letters and, with Hermione on Harry's arm, walked to the Owlery to send it off..

…..

The next day, two owls arrived to hand Hermione and Harry letters from the Hermione's parents and Sirius Black. Hermione's parents had agreed to their change of plan as they had no plans for the holidays other than staying at home. Sirius had sent a letter to Harry stating that the animagus would be the one to settle all the places they would be traveling to. With the problem solved, Harry invited Neville and Luna, but they both declined, stating they were going to be staying with their families. They thanked him though, and with that, the last week before their week of winter holidays was filled with studying, memorization and finally taking the last of their first term examinations.

…..

 **December 18** **th**

The morning of December 18th was not as hectic as Harry had remembered it to be. It was possible that the cause of it was because Hermione had told Harry to begin packing up his things the Friday they were finished with their exams. Of course, now that he was awake, all he had to do was freshen up, make sure he didn't leave anything in the dormitory and get ready for breakfast before heading to Hogsmeade Station where the students returning home for the Winter Holidays would be waiting for the Hogwarts Express.

After breakfast, they piled into the red velvet train, waving goodbye to Hagrid whom had come to see them off. As the train pulled out of the station, Hermione leaned her head onto Harry's shoulder and looked out the window. Across from the couple were Neville and Luna. Neville was still in a relationship with Hannah Abbott; but for the train ride back to London, the two decided to hang out with their friends, as they've been spending more time with each other. There was a time that Harry had teased Neville about having some romantic interest in Luna, but the Longbottom scion shook his head denying any rumors and any feelings towards the fifth year Ravenclaw, stating that he had his eyes on someone else.

"I can't wait to go on vacation with you!" Hermione gushed, already thinking of the many places they'll go.

"So mate," Neville began, "two weeks vacation. Where are you headed?"

"The first three days will be spent together at our own houses with our own family. The next three days will be spent together with the Weasley family and Granger family at the Caribbean, the three days after that will be spent in France, the three days after France will be spent in Italy and then the last couple of days will be spent in Britain when we return to get ready for school."

Neville nodded his head and turned to look at Luna. "I think Luna and I could spend a few days with you guys in Italy. Where in Italy though? Matter fact, where in any of these places?"

"Not quite sure what we'll be doing, but Sirius said he's got it all planned out. Five star hotels with room service in the presidential suites we've reserved, five star chefs to cook our food, and luxurious accommodations in each hotel we're booked at."

Neville whistled at how fancy their vacation was going to be. "Yeah." He nodded. "I think Luna and I can _definitely_ join you guys."

The blonde Ravenclaw only nodded her head with a smile on her face.

Ending their conversation at that, the four friends spoke about random things during the trip ride to London before taking a short nap when they were about an hour away from Kings Cross Station.

…..

 **December 21** **st**

The entire group had met up at the Leaky Cauldron before they were whisked away by a portkey. After arriving at the five star hotel, they had taken their keys and were led to their presidential suites. Sirius and Remus were going to be rooming together, while Hermione was paired up with Harry and Hermione's parents were together. They had called for a single presidential suite. It contained three large bedrooms with an en-suite bathroom, a wood-paneled library, a separate living room, a powder room and a full kitchen. In each bedroom and living room was a large 60-inch flat screen television that hung on the walls before the large queen sized beds, a balcony, and high speed internet access (not that the wizards knew how to use it).

The rooms were connected to the living room, decorated with reading lamps, chandelier, writing desks in the bedroom, 12 foot tall ceilings and double-paned floor to ceiling windows. The beds had 300 thread count bed linens, feather and foam pillows as well as feathered down comforters – but they wouldn't be needing them in such a hot climate. The bathrooms were all Italian marbled, included double sinks, bathroom telephones, two large mirrors weight scale, hairdryer, Remède Bath Amenities, several hanging one-size-fits-all thick fluffy bathrobes and a shelf stocked full of sweet smelling soap, shampoo, body wash and fluffy towels. The small refrigerator in the living room was stocked full of food and drinks.

Overall, the arrangements were wonderful, considering they were split up evenly into three pairs. What the Granger family didn't know was that the hotel was partial to wizards, so they would be experiencing magic a lot more than usual. It also helped to have Hermione's parents there to help Sirius get used to such technology.

"Well, this room is ours for the next three days. We'll unpack and meet up in ten minutes. I think we should grab some food before we go exploring."

The Grangers were hard pressed to keep Harry away from rooming with their daughter, but Harry had decided to talk with them in the living room, quickly shooing Sirius away and having Hermione help him unpack with a kiss to her cheek to send her off.

"What are you intentions with our daughter?" Daniel Granger asked, schooling his features into a stern expression. Mrs. Granger, "Call me Jessica," was sitting besides her husband with a look of curiosity on her face. From the letters that the Grangers had received from their daughter, Harry Potter was a nice, well-mannered sixteen-year-old who's intentions towards Hermione were as pure as they come. It also helped them imagine how Harry had changed with his inheritance when Hermione had gushed all about his new appearance.

"I have gone through the traditional wizard customs of courting your daughter for two weeks after she has accepted this procedure. I had gone on a first date with her before doing so, but we have finished the courting process. My intentions with your daughter are to date her and eventually be married to her. This has nothing to do with my family titles that I have inherited, but I will tell you that I am to marry other women besides your daughter." Harry noticed the rising red in Hermione's father's face before he quickly continued on. "I swear that my feelings for your daughter are much more than we make it out to be. I have been infatuated with your daughter since we've become friends our first year in Hogwarts –"

"Yes, we had received a letter from your Headmaster that you and the other boy, Ronald Weasley?," Harry nodded his head to confirm the name, "had rescued Hermione from an grown troll. We can't thank you enough for doing so, but we have also heard from Hermione all the adventures your little 'Golden Trio' have gone through each year, not to mention breaking many _many_ school rules." Mr. Granger frowned.

Harry nodded his head confirming all that Mr. Granger had said. "I will not blame anyone else besides myself for dragging your daughter and those dear to me into such situations. I am sure Hermione has told you all about what has happened this past term, and I admit that it's true. Dumbledore is no longer our headmaster and Ronald is no longer our friend. The rest of the Weasley family bar their two youngest and their matriach, on the other hand, are the ones that have not been manipulated as much as I have, and I don't like that Hermione has been included in Dumbledore's little game. But with the defeat of Voldemort in May, I assure you, the Ministry of Magic is doing all that they can to round up any and all remaining Death Eaters. While Hermione is with me, whether she is my girlfriend or just my friend, I will always protect her no matter what happens. You can trust my word on that."

Daniel smiled inwardly before turning to look at his wife. The both of them liked the look in Harry's eyes. They showed his amazing trust in his friends, his dedication to those dear to him, his love for everyone who means something to him, and his strength to be able to protect those close to him.

"What are you plans for the future?"

"If I may be so bold, I wish to ask for both your blessings for me to continue dating your daughter and even more on further from the dating stage." Harry said, his hands held tight together. "We have been dating for two months, but I must tell you… I have gone through both a magical and creature inheritance. I do not mean to frighten you, but my creature will ensure that the bonding and..." Harry clears his throat, "mating… will be soon."

Though they had received some word from their daughter about Harry's inheritance, Daniel and Jessica didn't think it would be so soon. Yet, they smiled and nodded their heads in unison. "You have our blessing."

"As for your question, I may become the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts or a healer. I do not have a reason to fight anymore, but I would like some form of career that would allow me to do the most without the worry it would cause to my loved ones. As for Hermione, I hope to marry her, whether it be at the end of sixth year or after graduation. Your daughter is the most talented and gifted person I have ever met. I can't say that I am good enough for her when she clearly has bested me in every aspect. All I can say is that I'm grateful that I'm dating her. I am grateful for having someone who could look at me in such a loving way and someone who trusts me as much as I trust them. Hermione is someone I wish to be with for the rest of my life. I know I can learn as much from her just as much as she learns from me. With the political power and wealth behind me, I can help Hermione accomplish her goals in the future. I will be with her every step of the way, encouraging her to do her best, picking her up when she falls down and boosting her confidence should anyone dare to look down on her. I will be her everything and I hope you, as her parents, will allow me to say such daring things."

Daniel stood up and clapped Harry on the back. "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you sir!"

"Please, call me Daniel or Dad."

Jessica came around the glass coffee table to envelope him in a hug, whispering her blessings once more.

Hermione came running out with watery eyes, throwing herself onto Harry. The Gryffindor caught his girlfriend and spun her around, glad to have gotten her parents' permission to continue their relationship.

Sirius and Remus soon came afterward to join them and within fifteen minutes, their group was heading down to the five star restaurant in their hotel.

…..

 **December 24** **th**

Their trip in the Caribbean was something all three families would remember. Having eaten luxurious food that would pale in comparison to other food around the world, they still believed that homemade English food would still be the best out of them all. Nonetheless, Harry had found a newfound interest in _Jerk_ , a very spicy dry wet rub applied to chicken and other meat after which is smoked to perfection and was made into a kebab. The first day in the Caribbean had been spent exploring the reef and seeing different sorts of fish as they went scuba diving and snorkeling. They also went to the beach for a couple of hours, enjoying the sun against their skin and smelling the salty scent of seawater. They even sailed on a boat as the sun set for the day and ended their first day with a seafood cooked meal. Their second day was spent hiking up the mountains and finally back down at the end of the day. Their last day was spent swimming and surfing in the ocean, before buying souvenirs and packing up to head to France.

When they had gone to France, they had met up with the Delacour family members and had their lodgings held in the Delacour's manor. Fleur had also told them of the beaches that allow for people to walk around in the nude. Harry flushed with embarrassment when he heard that Hermione and her parents had also gone there when Hermione was younger. In fact, everyone around him, bar the Weasley family, had gone there. And so, they had gone there after being warned to slather copious amounts of sunblock onto their skin to guard against the harsh glare of the sun's rays.

…..

"Come on Harry! Everyone will be naked. It's all right." Hermione called out from the beach's changing room.

"Easy for you to say!" Harry called out in reply. He was still in the changing room and while he had removed his clothes, he didn't know how to react when he realized he'd be seeing his girlfriend, her parents, his family and friends naked.

"Everyone's already gone down to the beach and besides, the area we're at is private. It's open to only us."

"You sure then?"

"Positive."

The door to the changing room slowly opened and Harry peered his head out from behind it. "You sure no one will see us?"

"We're going to be walking there from the _public_ changing room. So only a few people will see until we get to the private beach."

Harry groaned in embarrassment before Hermione pulled him out. "See, perfectly fine."

Harry stared gobsmacked at his Hermione's womanly figure. She had small C-cup breasts, slightly tanned unblemished skin and a hairless mound. Hermione noticed how Harry's penis had started to awaken and she giggled as she led him over to their friends and family. There were girls giggling and guys smirking at Harry's reaction, knowing that it was the raven's first time at a nudist beach. Hermione turned around a few times catching Harry's gaze on her arse as she swayed her hips side to side walking forward. It pleased her to know that she was the reason for Harry's erection.

"Enjoying the view Harry?" She giggled.

"Uh huh." Harry nodded. His eyes were glazed with lust and want, eyeing his girlfriend with apparent arousal. He could barely form coherent words, let alone a coherent sentence when answering Hermione's question.

She stopped them behind a bush, far beyond where they were going to meet up with their friends and family, yet allowing them privacy from any nosy onlookers. Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry, enjoying their warm flesh against one another. She felt his throbbing erection caught between their stomachs when he pressed closer. They shared several kisses and Hermione didn't mind when Harry's hand switched between groping her breasts and groping her arse. Her arms also roamed around the span of his broad back, feeling the small tiny areas where scars had formed.

Pulling away from their kiss, Hermione had to bring Harry's attention from her assets to her eyes. "Harry, you should calm down." She gasped, loving the way Harry was grazing his nose against the skin of her neck.

"Harry, Harry wait." Hermione moaned, when Harry started kissing her neck and nibbling on her earlobe.

"Hmm?"

"Everyone's waiting for us." She sighed, when Harry's arms moved down her waist and massaged her globes of flesh.

"I think they can wait a little longer." Harry insisted, loving the feeling of Hermione's unclothed flesh in his hands. He loved it even more when she would push up against him, her breasts with erect nipples against his chest and her sex grinding against his own throbbing one.

"They'll come looking for us," Hermione said sternly, though her voice wavered from her reluctance to stop what they were doing. Harry ignored her words, choosing to kiss the breath out of his girlfriend.

 **\- LEMONY SCENE - CANNOT BE CONSIDERED FLUFFY -**

 **-REALLY WHAT IS THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN LIME AND LEMON? -**

 **-UNDER 18 SHOULD SKIP! - ENJOY! -**

Wrapping his arms around her petite waist, Harry enjoyed it when he was able to close her thighs around his length and feel the smooth, wet touch of her bared pussy against his length.

"H-Harry!" She moaned, clamping her thighs tighter together. She held onto his firm shoulders, relishing in the strength underneath his rippling skin.

Harry dove further into her mouth, tongue captivated by her unique taste, yet starving to savor her. He pushed at her, moving her head backwards before she fought against his dominance. Growling in pleasure, he accepted her advances, enjoying the back and forth notions of their little game.

Tongues skimmed across wet caverns. Teeth nipped at red and puffy lips. Noses desperately breathed in air and arms ravished each other's unclothed state.

Harry groaned when he felt Hermione's cunt moisten even further, doubling the speed to which he was currently thrusting between her silky thighs. His elven side purred with satisfaction, knowing that is was he who had put his mate in such an erotic state.

Yet, knowing that they would indeed, especially Sirius, Harry unwillingly pulled away slowly, enjoying the raunchy display his mate was giving him: a heaving chest with deliciously alluring mounds for breasts accompanied by perky nipples, teary brown eyes tracking teardrops over flushed cheeks to saliva trickling from the corners of her thoroughly puffy and nibbled lips, and legs rubbing close together, knowing that she was wet and dripping.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

Hermione's face darkened in flames. "Of course not! I can't believe you'd leave me in such a state." She replied crossly.

Harry grinned seductively. "I don't think you're the only one in such a state." He reached down to his cock and tugged on it, seeing Hermione's eyes turn glassy as she watched his hand rub his dripping precum all over his length. "Now, you're just looking so beddable."

"We should go before they come looking for us," Harry reminded her, jolting her from her dazed stated.

"But…" She looked at his cock with embarrassment, "What about you?"

Harry purred, tugging on his cock again. "Would you want me to excuse myself for a few minutes? I'll relieve myself in the bushes."

Hermione shuddered, "I don't think that doing your business in the bushes would help."

Harry started to pump his cock even faster, "What do you want me to do then? You see how hard I am."

Hermione watched as his breathing sped up, seeing his hand stroke his cock with fervor.

"Hermione… Hermione…" Harry chanted, "Are – Are you looking?"

Her whimpers echoed to him, sending his emerald green eyes to hook to her brown ones. "Watch what happens…" He growled. "This is what you do to me."

Hermione gulped, watching the scene before her in a trance. She wanted to move to join in, but she was afraid she would disrupt such a lewd moment. Her boyfriend was hard for her! His cock was dripping for her! He was masturbating to her! She nearly swayed on her feet, but Harry's eyes prevented her from such motion.

"Hermione… Hermione!" He chanted. His fist pumped even faster than ever with his thumb running over the slit of his cock, wet with dribbling precum. Once his eyes closed, Hermione moved forward to join him in his pursuit for release.

Her small, shy and tentative touch nearly sent Harry careening into orgasm, but he held it in, eyelids opening to see Hermione wrapping her hand around his soaked one. He released his own and allowed her to stroke him, watching how his cum soaked her dry hand.

He closed his eyes to enjoy the feeling of smooth palm over his veiny and throbbing cock. He hissed in surprise when she grabbed his hand dripping of his precum and brought it to her mouth to taste it.

"Merlin… you're killing me here, Hermione." He groaned, pulling her close to his body. "You don't know how you look right now."

She giggled, "I think I do."

Once his hand was devoid of his cum, she wrapped his hand around her own and together they brought Harry to completion. Harry nearly shouted her name out but Hermione pulled his head down to her and swallowed his screams.

She pulled away and saw how their chests and stomachs were coating with his cum and yet she was entranced when she saw he had yet to stop. Giving a few more experimental tugs, the last of Harry's release finally came to a halt.

 **\- YOU MAY CONTINUE FROM HERE -**

With a wave of his hand, Harry banished the remains of his release and easily cleaned the two up. "Hermione," He groaned, wrapping her up in his arms. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to join in on your little show." She stated coyly.

Harry smirked, "My little siren wanted to have some fun?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Well, you had to cum or else they'll come searching for us. And besides, you were teasing me." She turned away to walk.

He wrapped his thick arms around her body and drew her in. "Well, the next time this occurs, I'll be sure to have you pass out as you scream my name to the heavens." He promised her.

Standing away from his blushing girlfriend, he allowed Hermione to lead him to where everyone else was. His thoughts of anything besides Hermione's swaying and, in his mind teasing, arse had slowly whittled away his erection.

"Oh! There you guys are! We were wondering what took you so long!" Sirius called out, waving an arm to them.

"It's Harry's first time at a nudist beach. It's understandable that he might feel uncomfortable with everyone out in the opening." Jessica said, smiling at the teenager.

Remus had perked up and turned to look at the couple, no doubt having caught the scent of their arousal if his quiet laughter was any indication. Their trip to the beach had allowed for them to sun bathe, tan their skin, play in the sand and swim out into the ocean. Harry had a lot of fun there, not knowing that his godfathers had secretly taken pictures of his time during his vacation. They would soon scrapbook every picture before handing it over to him the day he leaves for Hogwarts.

Harry especially had a lot of fun burying a sleeping Sirius in the sand. Like the children in the TV shows he'd caught a peek at, Harry had shaped the sand into that of a mermaid to give Sirius some womanly features. He was chased through the beach as a result when the group's laughter had awakened the animagus. Harry had even gotten used to seeing everyone naked, other than in the stalls while he showered in the bathroom or even when they had finished Quidditch practices or a Quidditch match at Hogwarts. However, whenever he looked at Hermione, he could feel his penis twitch and he worked very hard not to get erect in front of everyone there, _especially_ in front of Hermione's parents. Though they had given him their blessing, Harry was sure they wouldn't approve of Harry's sexual interests in their daughter yet – even if they were both sixteen years old.

The rest of the 3-day trip in France consisted of buying souvenirs, checking out famous landmarks and trying French food. By the end of the trip to France, Harry and everyone else had gotten a healthy glow from the sun that would soon be paling under the cold Scottish weather at Hogwarts. Harry had also sent Hedwig along to give Neville and Luna their Christmas presents because the day they left France was Sunday, December 24th – Christmas Eve.

…..

 **December 25** **th**

They group had said their goodbyes to the Delacour family after packing their bags and the gifts that had been sent to them; they would open them when they got to Italy. And when they arrived at Italy, they settled down in a five star hotel similar to the one in the Caribbean. They would visit the other Italian cities through the use of apparition, so they wouldn't have to switch hotels so frequently. Neville and Luna had arrived after Harry had given them a firecall through their hotel room's fireplace and the two students walked through, careful and wary of the international flooing.

After opening their presents, Harry was surprised to see that Sirius and Remus's present was a scrapbook of their adventures at Hogwarts. Though there was a large thirteen-year gap between the day Harry was born and the day they had finally seen each other, the rest of the pictures were of Harry's time during their vacation. Both his godfathers promised to give him the rest of the pictures at the end of their vacation. Sirius's own personal gift was a book on Healing, when he had heard of Harry's interest in that field. Remus's own gift to Harry was a book on animagi, considering Harry had showed some interest in it during the summer. Harry had thanked them profusely and continued on with the rest of his presents. Sirius had automatically latched onto the werewolf complaining about how Harry would love Remus more since Remus gave him two presents while Sirius himself gave him one. Remus led Sirius out of the room and when they came back ten minutes later, their clothes were slightly wrinkled and their lips slightly puffy and bruised.

From the Grangers, Harry had received a knitted scarf and hat as well as their blessing should Harry wish to marry Hermione in the near future. Harry was surprised to say the least, considering he had asked them for Hermione's hand in marriage the second day they were in France. But they strongly insisted they were willing to hand Hermione over to him, because they saw the looks he would give her when she wasn't looking and they saw how he would react with her when they were doing something together; yes it spoke of love, and though it may be young, they knew Harry was the perfect person for their daughter to be with.

An owl had arrived carrying items from the Weasleys. From the Arthur and Percy, they had gifted Harry some chocolate. From Bill, Harry had received a charmed necklace that doubled as an emergency portkey, "For extra precautions" the curse breaker had said. From Charlie, Harry received a book on all things Magical Creatures to better understand his creature inheritance and from the Weasley twins, some pranks from their store and from Zonko's.

From Neville and Luna, he had received a box of chocolates with an open slotted reservation at any five star restaurant in the muggle world for whenever Harry wished to go eat with Hermione in the muggle world and a box of chocolates and a feathered hair pin to pin up his bangs, respectively. From Hermione, he had received a full-blown make out session in the boundaries of their own hotel room and a simple locket with a picture of Harry and Hermione together.

Sirius and Remus had each received a gift from Harry themselves: for Sirius and Remus, a locket from the Potter Vault with pictures of the Marauders together with Lily, excluding Peter, but more specifically for Sirius, a full set of writing supplies and a full wardrobe of clothes. For Remus, it was a year's supply worth of Honeydukes chocolates and an extra sum of 50,000 galleons into his vault; Harry even gave Remus the cottage in Wiltshire. When the werewolf tried to argue, Harry quickly said that he wanted both his godfathers to live comfortably, no matter if they were of a magical race or not.

For Arthur Weasley, Harry gave him a book on all things Muggle considering the Weasley Patriarch was very found of the muggle world. For Percy, Harry gave him an old tome on the Traditions and Customs of the Wizarding World, allowing the redhead to delve deeper into the laws pushed forth by the Wizengamot. Harry had presented Bill and Charlie with a pair of earrings and a wristwatch charmed to prevent any magical backlash and an entire outfit made out of dragonhide, respectively. The Weasley twins, however, were given an additional 1,000 galleons to fund their shop when they would officially be able to take over when they finished off their last year at Hogwarts.

The Grangers had received an all-expense paid trip to anywhere around the world, courtesy of the Potter name. It was a voucher that would not expire unless used and the trip would last a good two weeks. Their presents also included a wristwatch for Daniel and a pendant for Jessica; both were charmed with strong protection wards against jinxes, curses, spells, hexes, and an anti-portkey and anti-apparition should someone kidnap them. They also were given a bracelet each, charmed to be an emergency portkey – the only ones that Harry had created to work over their anti-portkey and anti-apparition accessories. When Sirius and Remus had heard about Harry's presents for the Grangers, they began to ask him about expanding the idea for the Aurors or employees at the Ministry as well as handing them out to his close friends and family. Of course, Harry agreed to it; but their discussion was quickly interrupted when the others reminded them that they were still in the process of gift-giving.

For Neville, Harry had given him a copy of a rare Herbology book on all things plants from the Potter vault. For Luna, Harry had given her a box of chocolates and a pair of diamond earrings to go with the diamond necklace he had gotten her. An owl had arrived after Harry had given his gift to Luna. The sender was Severus Snape. The potions master's present to the Gryffindor was several corked vials filled with bright silvery essence – copies of Severus's memories. The note that came with it confirmed Harry's inference. In perfect cursive handwriting, Severus had stated that memories were much better than five-second repetitive loop that the pictures would reenact. He also thanked Harry's gift of the three chests full of basilisk body parts to use as potions ingredients – from the skin on its back to the bones and teeth. The three chests contained half of the ingredients from the entire basilisk body and the skin from its previous molting session. He even thanked Harry for the basilisk's eyes – even if they were injured from Fawkes' attack.

Lastly for Hermione, Harry gifted her an engagement ring. He had gotten down on one knee before pulling out a blue velvet box.

"Hermione Jean Granger, I have known you ever since we were eleven years old and look at where we are know. We've come so far these past two months and I can't imagine where we'll be together in the future, but I know for a fact that we'll be living happily with each other. Your parents have just given their blessings for our marriage, thankfully just in time or else this would've been awkward to say the least. I love you; I love you so much. I know we haven't said it yet, but I'm hoping that we're on the same step. So, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

In the box was a 14k white gold band of channel-set round brilliant diamonds that enhanced the classic six-prong setting of the center pieced 3-carat diamond.

Hermione sniffled, wrapping her arms around Harry's neck. "I love you Harry James Potter. And yes, I'll marry you." she laughed, eyeing Harry's nervous look.

The whole group rejoiced as Harry fitted the two rings onto Hermione's left ring finger. They sealed the engagement with a kiss.

…..

The rest of their time in Italy was spent, like usual in France, scouring the landmarks, eating local Italian cuisine and buying souvenirs. They were then whisked off back to England during the last day, with pockets full of bags full of souvenirs.

…..

 **January 1** **st**

"It's good to be back home."

"I agree. It was nice travelling around to places, but I'm glad we get the time to relax now." Harry yawned.

"We're invited to the Longbottom Manor to celebrate New Year's Day with them." Sirius reminded them. The last couple of days in Italy had their group increasing by two members: Neville and Luna. Though they apologized for not coming to visit them sooner, Neville had extended an invitation to all of them to be at Longbottom Manor to bring in the New Years – not that they hadn't done so last night.

Harry had enjoyed his New Year's Eve with Hermione. The newly engaged couple had move away from the rest of the group – though everyone else had separated to their own devices. He had ended up with Hermione back at their hotel room where Hermione had shocked Harry by asking him a question.

" _Do – Do you mind if, you know," Hermione stammered._

" _Do I mind if what?" Harry asked. Hermione's face flushed red before she seemed to grab her Gryffindor courage and brought Harry to sit at the edge of their bed. Rather than asking her fiancé, Hermione just unzipped his trousers and pulled out his flaccid cock._

 **\- I'M A LITTLE WARNING LINE - FEAR ME -**

 **\- SMUT IN COMING - DO NOT READ IF UNDER 18 -**

 **\- LAST WARNING -**

 **\- ENJOY -**

" _W-What! Hermione!" Harry had jumped at her sudden action, unable to believe that Hermione had done so. He rushed to push his cock back into his trousers, even if it had begun to get interested in what Harry had believed Hermione would do._

 _His hands were stopped and reluctantly, though not enough, Harry had allowed Hermione to grip his hardening cock and pump it with her hands. Harry hadn't really noticed, but Hermione's hands were really small compared to his; maybe even smaller than the other girls. Then again he wouldn't have known; Hermione's hand was the only hand he held in his entire romantic life – Harry hadn't even held Cho's hand when they went on their date to Madam Puttifoot's._

" _Hermione, you don't have to do this."_

" _I-I want to do this." Hermione stated, her eyes growing wide when Harry's cock took an interested lurch and stood up straight in its entire glory. She marveled at its length and girth, wondering how in the name of Merlin's polka-dotted pants she was going to fit all that in her mouth._

 _She gave a tentative lick before swallowing it all into her mouth, fitting the first three inches in. When Hermione had tried to take more, her gag reflex had kicked in and she quickly pulled back, drool leaking from the corners of her mouth._

" _A-Are you all right?" Harry gasped. He had felt incredible in Hermione's mouth. All that heat had nearly made him burst, but he knew he didn't want his first time to end so quickly._

" _I'm fine." Hermione reassured him, before she continued her ministrations. She licked and sucked and twirled her tongue all over the length inside her mouth, simultaneously gripping Harry's cock with a firm grasp and pumping it thoroughly. Hermione hummed when Harry started to voice his arousal; Harry, on the other hand, gripped the sheets tightly in his fist – not wanting to thrust his entire length down Hermione's throat. But when Hermione went to massage his seed-heavy balls, Harry placed a hand on her head and slowly pumped his length deeper into Hermione's mouth._

 _When the head of his cock touched her throat, Hermione breathed through her nose to prevent the gag reflex from acting up once more. Her saliva dripped from her mouth, coating Harry's cock to give her a slicker motion when she tugged and pulled his erection. With each thrust, Harry's cock seemed to get deeper and deeper down her throat. Finally, his whispers of her name and "Oh fuck", "Merlin", "Shiiit" made Hermione realize that Harry was about to come._

" _I'm – I'm c-coming… FUCK! HERMIONE!" Harry warned her. He couldn't hold back when she delved deeper and hummed, the vibrations shooting through his cock and up his spine. He grabbed her head and thrust quickly, but Hermione didn't mind. She allowed Harry's actions and kept Harry from moving when he was going to pull out. With her stubbornness to taste Harry's cum, Hermione moaned around his cock and felt strands of hot thick cum burst from Harry's cock. She swallowed once and coughed, pulling back to watch with fascination as Harry's cock jolted each time it let loose a large surge of cum._

" _Hermione, you-"_

 _She shook her head. "It's all right."_

" _But –"_

" _I insist." She blushed._

 _Hermione squirmed, knowing that her panties were completely soaked through. If she could make Harry feel this way, she wondered what else she could do to make Harry lose his control._

 _ **\- SMUT ENDS - MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SCENE -**_

 _Harry shuddered when the last of his semen left his now flaccid cock. He opened his eyes when he felt Hermione cleaning his cock, but he was too tired to protest against her actions. He was soon pushed onto his back as Hermione undressed and laid against his chest. They cuddled together, not wanting to do much, just waiting for the hour to turn into five minutes before they met up with the rest of their group._

" _W-What was that for?" Harry breathed out. "Not that I didn't enjoy it of course. Thank you." He kissed her._

" _I-I wanted to try it out. All the girls in the dormitory would ask me whether or not I've done it – or anything sexual and –"_

" _Hermione," Harry said, his tone hard and steely, "You didn't do it_ because _they pressured you, did you?"_

 _She shook her head. "I wanted to try it out. I've been thinking about when we'll be moving to the next step after all and the vacation together was perfect."_

 _Harry nodded his head, "I don't care how slow our relationship goes; as long as you choose the pace, I'm completely fine with it."_

" _Thank you Harry." Hermione smiled. And after ten minutes passed, they went to take a shower to wash the scent of sweat and cum off. They did_ not _want anyone to find out about their business._

…..

"Pup! You coming?!"

"I'm right here; I'm right here." Harry said, leading Hermione the grand staircase.

"We're going to be late."

"I thought it was just an informal dinner."

"A semi-formal dinner, but still, it's not polite to make our hosts wait." Remus chided.

"The Weasleys are coming too no?"

"No doubt they'll be there before we get there with the amount of time you've spent on yourselves." Sirius teased.

"Well, it takes a long time to look this good."

"A long time?" Sirius barked, laughing uproariously, "All you have to do is throw on a suit!"

"Well, I for one think Harry looks impeccable." Hermione smiled.

"I concur." Jessica smiled, her arm on Daniel's.

Sirius, Remus, Harry and Daniel wore muggle suits. Sirius wore a dark gray cashmere sweater over a white button down shirt with a navy blue pinstripe tie, gray trousers and Italian leather dress shoes. Remus donned a black cardigan over a grey button down shirt with a black tie, black trousers and brown Prada Leather Wingtip Oxford shoes. Daniel had on a midnight blue sleeveless vest over a wine red button down shirt with its sleeves rolled up to his elbows, beige trousers and cognac Giraldo Wingtip Oxford shoes. Harry, like his godfather, was wearing a forest green cashmere sweater over a blue button down shirt, black trousers and black Gucci Leather Wingtip Oxford shoes.

Hermione was wearing a black floral embroidery, short open back long sleeved V-neck dress made with cream tulle and lace fabric that reached to the middle of her creamy slightly tanned thighs. Her mother, Jessica, was wearing a two piece floor length bateau neckline tow piece formal gown with a sheer back; while the embroidery and the bottom piece of the dress was black and made from crepe fabric, respectively, the top piece was made of crème colored fabric. They both had on dark brown make up, but their hairstyles were different. Hermione wore her hair up in the style she used during the Yule Ball in fourth year and Jessica had on a simple bun. Both women looked gorgeous as they met up with Sirius and Remus.

"Are we ready?"

"To the floo!"

…..

"Welcome to Longbottom Manor."

"Neville!" Harry smiled, patting the Gryffindor on the back.

"Harry, how was New Year's?"

"It was great! We had a nice time relaxing before coming over."

"Hermione, Mrs. Granger, both of you lovely ladies are looking gorgeous tonight." Neville greeted them.

"Thank you Neville." Jessica smiled, "Might I ask where your grandmother is?"

"Gran is in the dining room. Just straight ahead. Why don't we head there right now? The Weasleys had just come a few minutes earlier than you did. Luna arrived ten minutes before them." Neville leaned forward, "I don't exactly know what she's been telling Gran, but when I left the Weasleys there, Gran was looking at Luna quite interestingly."

The group smiled at Luna's exuberant behavior and attitude; the Ravenclaw was probably talking about one of the creatures she's seen when she and her father, Xenophilius Lovegood, had gone exploring during their vacation.

Once everyone had gathered around the dining table, dinner was immediately served.

"How is your education coming along?" Augusta asked.

"Oh, Gran!" Neville groaned.

Even though the grandmother-grandson pair had worked out their anxieties and tension, Augusta Longbottom still cared about her grandson's relationships with other people outside of their family. "Hush Neville. As the Head of the Longbottom House, I must know everything regarding to you." Then her eyes turned to look at the twins, Harry, Luna and Hermione.

"We're doing fine; thank you for asking Lady Longbottom. As for our grades, if anything, we're within the top ten students in Hogwarts. Hermione, Neville, Luna and I have study groups during our breaks – so we have at least five study groups per week. The twins join in whenever they can, considering they're redoing their N.E.W.T.s. After what happened last year, I don't think anyone was satisfied with their grades."

"Ah yes, the Umbridge debacle."

Harry nodded his head. "That's why we're studying a lot this year. Not only to prep ourselves for next year's N.E. , but also to refresh our memory for when we retake our O.W.L.s this summer."

"Good for you. Exams are most important when choosing your careers, especially your grades. Remember Neville, I expect nothing less than an Outstanding. Exceeds Expectations is satisfactory."

"Yes Gran." Neville smiled, glad that his grandmother was taking a part in his academic life. She used to make sure Neville wouldn't' forget anything, like the Remembrall in first year for example, but other than written letters telling him how important it was to keep his grades up and not disgrace the Longbottom name, Augusta Longbottom was too busy with the affairs and Wizengamot Meetings as the proxy of the Longbottom title.

"Which N.E.W.T.s do you think you'll be taking?" asked Daniel. Over the vacation, and through Hermione's written letters that were sent home, the Grangers were slowly being integrated into the Wizarding World rather than being segregated from it. The Grangers were starting to get accustomed to what classes would be about and what careers there were in the Wizarding World. They knew their daughter wouldn't be able to choose between both worlds, so they made an effort to understand what Hermione would eventually be doing.

"I'm going to take the Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy N.E. . If the classes clash together, I'll just study the one that's not on my schedule alone." Harry stated. He then proceeded to scoop a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto his plate.

"Hermione? Neville? Luna? Fred, George? What about you five?"

"I'm with Harry. We're basically doing the same thing. I haven't exactly enjoyed Divination back in third year. Not everyone has the sight, so I won't be taking that class." Hermione explained. Neville nodded his head as well. The shy Gryffindor had also dropped his Divination class in exchange for Ancient Runes. He had been self studying Arithmancy when Harry and Hermione had asked for him to join their little study group.

"I'm currently studying for my O.W.L.s." Luna said, "So I'm currently taking all of the classes Harry mentioned, plus Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy and Divination. I'm self studying for the ones that don't fit into my schedule, but hopefully I'll get it all done in time for my exams."

"We're retaking our N.E. ." The twins chimed. "Though, we're only taking Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions and Herbology. We've planned for the start up of our shop already – Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. There are two other employees there, so we have all the time we need to self-study for our N.E. before we retake our position as the managers of WWW."

"You should get a real job." Augusta told them, but the twins didn't take her comment into offense.

"Lady Longbottom," said Fred.

"Making people laugh _is_ our job." George stated.

Augusta could only look at them with a smile before engaging Arthur, Sirius and Harry into a discussion about several issues they would be addressing in the future Wizengamot meetings.

…..

A/N: Yes! Another chapter done! I hope you enjoyed it! R&R (: The little extra scene during their beach day was just thrown in. Please don't hate!


	9. An Announcement

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

A/N: Also, the end of first term is usually about a week before Christmas; shortly after January 1st, Hogwarts Express returns and it's the start of second term (found it at hp (dash)

Chapter 9

~ An Announcement ~

 **January 5** **th**

"Ughhhhhhh…" Harry moaned. His groan drew laughter from his other four roommates.

"Get up! We're getting breakfast!" Neville said, pulling Harry's blanket off of him. Though Gryffindor was known for being warmer than the other houses, the early morning cold winter air in their room diffused that knowledge.

In twenty minutes, the four boys left the dormitory. Dean, Seamus and Neville went ahead, leaving Harry to meet up with his girlfriend. When Hermione came down, the both of them held hands, swinging them back and forth. The sunlight and candlelight from the hallways shone brightly against Hermione's engagement ring, drawing attention from the students that they passed by, which elicited growing whispers that quickly spread through the halls and reached the rest of the Hogwarts population in the Great Hall and all four houses.

Harry led Hermione over to the Gryffindor table, telling her that he needed to speak with Professor McGonagall and he left.

"Oh my god! Hermione!" Susan gasped. She had turned to take her seat when the sunlight had reflected off of the Gryffindor's engagement ring.

"You're engaged!"

Hermione smiled widely. "Yes. Harry proposed on Christmas."

Their heads turned when they heard a loud _thump_ echoing from down the Gryffindors' table. The little redheaded Weasley girl was flushed red with anger and annoyance as her freckles stood out like white flecks on skin, blue eyes narrowed at Hermione, glaring daggers and promises of death. Not even her brother's insistent nudging could deter her from her obvious fury.

Susan's eyes narrowed, "Is there a problem, Miss Weasley?"

They watched as the youngest of the Weasley brood gritted her teeth with a snarl, "None… whatsoever." She forced out.

With a look of superiority, Susan drew the attention back to its rightful place. The girls continued to gush at the brilliant looking engagement ring that Harry had procured for Hermione.

"How did he do it?!"

"That ring must cost a fortune!"

"Wow Hermione! You're going to be the future Lady Potter?"

Female students flocked over to the exuberant Gryffindor as Hermione answered question after question with a smile on her face.

From over at the Ravenclaw table, a bunch of girls walked over and gathered around the crowd surrounding Hermione. Cho took one look at her and sneered. "How did you do it Hermione?"

Hermione frowned. "Do what?"

Cho rolled her eyes. For the smartest witch of their generation, she sure was stupid. It was no wonder the bushy-haired girl didn't make it into Ravenclaw. "What did you do to get Harry to propose to you?" Cho repeated slowly, as if Hermione was a five-year-old child.

"I didn't _get_ Harry to _do_ anything. It was his own choice."

Cho sniffled, "Right, and I'm a Slytherin."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Are you saying that I blackmailed Harry?"

"I mean being friends with Harry Potter sure has its benefits. Especially since you've known him for six years. What was it that article that Rita Skeeter had written back in fourth year? Oh yes, you were cheating on Victor with Harry or was it the other way around? Oh wait," Cho smiled, pausing in her phony out loud thinking. "You were pegging for both of them and when you couldn't decide, you chose both of them for yourself." A group of Cho's friends laughed at the Ravenclaw's words, lowering Hermione's self esteem.

"I didn't –"

"But of course who would want to marry you?" Cho said whimsically, "Harry probably proposed to you so he would get you off his back. He probably handed you the engagement ring so you wouldn't fly off the handle when he just wanted you as a mistress. Or were you unsatisfied with just being friends with _the_ Harry Potter?" Cho and her group of friends burst into fits of laughter, ignoring Hermione's flushed face and teary eyes.

"Stop that." Susan snapped, soothing Hermione. Her retort drew the Ravenclaw and her group's attention. "You should be ashamed of yourselves. Why are you picking on Hermione because she's engaged to Harry?"

"Oh? And little Susan Bones was unable to gain her crush's affections." Cho said in a baby voice.

Something in the Gryffindor's mind clicked and Hermione turned to see Susan's flushed face. "You like Harry too?"

Susan nodded her head. "I like Harry, but I can't stop Harry from liking you Hermione. You two are perfect for each other," she whispered sadly.

Hermione sniffled once more. "You forget; Harry needs more than one wife." She laughed, drawing Susan's smile to her face.

"Oh wow. Look Cho. Now there's going to be _another_ tramp fishing for Harry's affections." Marietta Edgecombe said, renewing the laughter within their group. The other girls around Hermione glared at them, but didn't make to defend them as they knew Cho and her group of friends were the mean girls of Hogwarts who thought they were pretty and were smart enough to get into Ravenclaw.

"How's your forehead, Marietta?" Hannah asked innocently. "Did you get rid of that hex from last year?"

Marietta's face flushed red with anger, the skin above her eyebrows stretching and revealing the makeup that covered those zits; her fingers itching to either lunge at Hannah or draw her wand, but the fact that her opponents were a part of Harry's best students from his DADA club back in fifth year, she didn't dare do what her instincts screamed at her to do.

"You better watch out Hermione," Cho warned her. "It's just a matter of time before Harry finds the _perfect_ woman to be his ideal Lady Potter. Then he'll throw you away. Even if you try to sue him for anything, don't think that the backlash for your actions will even scratch _Lord_ Potter's prestige."

"And you think you're the perfect bride-to-be?" Hannah asked with a sneer.

Hermione looked closed to tears. Even with Susan by her side, rubbing her back to comfort her, the brunette just couldn't get Cho's words out of her head. Other girls had formed a semi circle around Hermione, trying to ease her worries and protect her from Cho's harsh words, but with Cho and the other girls staring down at them, they couldn't do much to help.

"What's going on here?" Harry asked, breaking up the tension.

"Oh Harry," cooed Cho, fluttering her eyelashes. Her bitchy demeanor turned angelic as she flashed a beaming smile at the subject of their conversation. "I'm so happy for your engagement."

"Thank you. I'm glad Hermione and I are engaged."

"If you need someone to talk to, I'm always available for you." Cho smiled flirtatiously. " _Any time_."

"I don't need you. I've got Hermione with me," Harry replied, chancing a glance at his fiancée. His eyes widened when he saw tears gathered at the corner of his eyes.

"But Harry," simpered Cho. "I'm always there for you. If you need _anything_ , just call for me, okay?"

A dark shadow loomed over Harry's eyes. The girls that congratulated Hermione knew of Harry's infamous temper, but apparently the Cho and her friends didn't see the danger they were getting into. "You don't think I heard you and your friends from the professors' table?" Harry asked, his Avada green eyes as cold as steel.

"Whatever do you mean?" Cho pouted.

"You've offended my fiancée; that you even dare to do so shows a blatant disregard for my choices and for Hermione herself."

"What?!" Marietta cried out, affronted. "What we were saying was true. Girls like Granger only like you for your fame and money. You and Cho are supposed to be together! You even dated back in fifth year."

"Briefly – for a couple of hours. And for your information, it wasn't a good date. It went horribly wrong with Ms. Chang sobbing pitifully about Cedric's death. As if it wasn't enough that I was receiving nightmares every night regarding his death, but I have to hear his ex-girlfriend reminding me about him every time we got together? And to have said ex-girlfriend become jealous whenever I would hang around my friends?"

Cho huffed, her innocent façade disappearing. "I always knew you liked Granger. You were always spending time with her! There's no way you wouldn't have fallen in love with me after our kiss"

"That kiss was the worst _mistake_ I've ever experienced. If you think that my time with Hermione was more than us being just friends back in fifth year, you were delusional. Hermione has always been my best friend; if I had not expressed any romantic feelings towards her, she would've been like a sister to me. I would never cheat on a potential girlfriend, but since I'm the Lord of seven houses, and have Hermione's permission to date whomever I please, I glad that _you_ are _not_ going to be one of my candidates. So you better get out of here before something happens."

"But you _need_ me!" Cho shouted. By then, all the students in the Great Hall had focused their attention on the argument. Even the professors had slowly stood to their feet as if gaging whether or not to step into the confrontation. " _YOU'RE_ the one who liked me back in fifth year!"

Harry huffed before sending his furious and cutting gaze at her, "I don't need anyone _but_ Hermione. And that _crush_ I felt towards you back then was nothing more than that. I'm glad that I got to see the real you Cho. Because, quite frankly, it's as hideous and as black as your soul."

Cho's eyes watered before she ran off, her group of friends following after her, calling her name. Harry went up to Hermione and thanked Susan for defending her. Everyone returned to their seats and Harry sat down next to Hermione to begin their first meal of the day.

"Are you all right Hermione?"

"I'm fine Harry." She sniffled. "I just can't believe people would think that I'd only marry you to become famous and rich."

"I just can't believe that people would think that you were blackmailing me," murmured Harry. He pulled out a handkerchief and patted his fiancée's eyes dry. Harry was given a small smile of thanks in return.

"Love is blind." Luna said dreamily, coming to give Hermione a hug.

"Especially in the case of Harry's fan girls." Neville snorted.

"Don't remind me." Harry rolled his eyes. "If this is how Cho behaves, I can't fathom how other fangirls would behave once the news have gotten out about our engagement." He shuddered before drawing Hermione close as if her warmth would protect him from such horror.

Hermione happily obliged his whims, choosing to grasp onto his school robes and place her head on his shoulder. "So what did you need to talk to Professor McGonagall for?" asked Hermione.

Harry smiled. "I asked her for a room of our own. Considering we're getting engaged and I'm a High Elf, under the rules that the School Board has authorized since Hogwarts had been founded, I'm obligated to have a room of my own when I've found mates."

"And?"

"She said I'd have to be, well... intimate."

"Oh…" Hermione replied dumbly. Her head had gone blank at his answer. Even the expression on her face was as blank as a clean scroll of parchment.

"OH!" Hermione exclaimed, her face blushing furiously. Being _intimate_ with Harry made her stomach feel all weird and fluttery inside, but she enjoyed that aspect quite spectacularly.

The meal went by pleasantly, especially after girls came to check up on Hermione. Harry sat by her side, making sure no one was there to make fun of her even more; no one did and as the last person left, Harry turned to look at Hermione. "You don't mind if Susan is my second wife correct?"

Hermione's eyes grew large as she shook her head. "No. I think she's perfect. She also has a sense of justice that her aunt has instilled into her. She would be perfect. Why would you ask that of me?"

Harry sighed, relieved. "Because, you're my fiancée. You'll be my first wife. You're my best friend _and_ I trust you."

"Harry…" Hermione whispered with a smile. "Thank you. But this is your decision. Nonetheless, Susan would be a good candidate as your wife."

Her fiancé smiled in return. "Good, because my elven instincts think so as well. It approved of her defending you and standing up for you. Plus, I personally like truthful and trustworthy people."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"I'll give her a few days to settle in before asking her out. You're fine with that right?"

Hermione laughed, kissing her fiancé's cheek. "Harry, the choice is yours. I'm not going to act like a jealous obsessive wife. You deserve your happiness. And you _will_ get it."

"Thank you Hermione." Harry smiled, kissing the witch on the cheek. Hermione's smile grew when she felt jealous looks thrown at her back. Yes she was thankful and grateful that Harry had chosen her; Harry was everything she looked for in a potential partner and so much more. It was like a dream to have Harry propose, and even now she felt as if she were still floating on cloud nine. She hoped their happiness would last forever and ever. Hermione still did not know about Harry's elf's instincts crying out for him to change the witch to become one of their own…

…..

"Hi Susan." Harry smiled. The Gryffindor had caught up to the Hufflepuff in the hallway. She had been walking to the Great Hall with her friend Hannah Abbott.

"Oh, hi Harry." Susan returned his smile. "What's up?"

"I was wondering, and Hermione is firmly behind me on this," The Gryffindor began.

Hannah slowly walked backwards a couple of steps and stopped, far enough to give them some privacy but close enough to hear what was happening. Susan didn't even notice her leave as her attention was fully on the teenager before her.

"I was wondering, if you'd like to go on a date with me. This Hogsmeade weekend." Harry asked.

Susan flushed brilliantly as she stuttered through her answer. Harry looked on with an amused grin as Susan finally said, "Yes."

"Great. So, I'll see you at ten o'clock? At the entrance?" Harry asked.

"Mhm. Okay." Susan smiled. Harry returned her smile with a kiss to her check and to the back of her hand.

"I'll be seeing you then. I can't wait for our date." He entered the Great Hall, ignoring the bystanders that had heard what had happened. Harry knew everyone would be talking about it soon, and he was happy about it. That meant any bullying towards Hermione _and_ Susan would be looked down on. Even with those that they considered their friends.

"So Harry, Susan huh?" whispered Neville. He had a small smile on his face. He happily kissed Hannah when he saw her before he helped both Hufflepuffs into their seats with Hermione and Luna.

"Yep. I think she'll be perfect."

…..

"Don't be so nervous!" Hannah chided, fixing up Susan's hair.

"But it's _Harry_! I'm going on a date with _Harry_!"

"Yes and if you keep dilly-dallying, you'll miss the meet-up time. He'll think you've stood him up."

Susan gasped, "No! He wouldn't think that would he?"

Hannah grinned, "Of course he wouldn't. I'm kidding Suze. Besides," Hannah waved her wand in the air, "It's fifteen minutes till 10. You've gone through your clothes and you look perfect. Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Just breathe."

Ten minutes later, Susan was heading downstairs to the entrance of the Great Hall. She wore a periwinkle blue jeweled zipper peplum top and black tights with cinnamon brown snow boots with inner fur linings. Her hair was done in a sleek and polished side part, showing the dangling plum cascading shaded feathered earrings she wore. Susan's makeup was done with light brown eyeliner, peach eye shadow, and earthy brown blush that highlighted her small dash of freckles across the bridge of her nose and a touch of pale pink lipgloss. She smiled when she saw Harry standing there waiting for her.

"You look great." He complimented, drawing a blush to her cheeks.

"Thank you." She murmured, finding her toes to be suddenly slightly more interesting.

Harry smiled before pulling something from behind his back. "Here, I didn't know if you'd like them, but I got chocolate for you instead of flowers. I overheard you were allergic to them."

"Thank you." Susan smiled at the thoughtful gesture before popping one into her mouth. "What is it?"

"It's a muggle sort of chocolate; Godiva 'G' Collection. It's very well known in the muggle world. I've also taken the liberty of sending you a box of Richart Chocolates if you don't mind."

"Of course not." Susan said, pocketing her box of Godiva chocolates. She heard Filch and Professor Flitwick's last call for permission slips and urged Harry forward with her to hand theirs in. She was helped into her thick petticoat lined with fur by Harry and they entered a small but spaced carriage; the two made small talk all the way to the little village.

…..

Once at Hogsmeade, Susan led Harry over to Madam Puttifoot's Tea Shop and walked in. Harry's eyes widened in fear when, everywhere he looked, there were floating hearts or flying cupids or pink, pink, PINK! They took a table by the window where there were pink sheer curtains with pink iridescent beaded hearts draped over it. The rounded tables were all covered with white tablecloths designed with heart boarders; cupids were flying all over the tablecloth. The chairs had plum colored cushions with heart shaped backrest. The ceiling was made of Mahogany wood with gold leaf decorations. There were a total of ten mini chandeliers made with crystals and translucent bubble beads that glowed in rainbow colors. It reminded him of his failed date with Cho Chang.

Harry shoved away his irrational fear of the shop and of his thoughts of that vicious Ravenclaw, choosing to focus on the gorgeous redhead with brown eyes sitting in front of him. The tables in the shop were about 3 feet long in diameter, which meant their knees were barely centimeters apart from each other. So with every small movement, their knees would brush together, and their feet would nudge the other's, eliciting small contact.

"So," breathed Susan, "what do you think about the place?"

"It's…" Harry swallowed, "very pink."

Susan giggled at his discomfort. "I know. Lots of people are uncomfortable with how… lovey-dovey the shop is. I'm glad you came with me here, when you didn't want to."

Harry smiled. "Anything for you."

Five minutes later, a waitress came by with two mugs of hot chocolate with whipped cream. The menu soon appeared after the waitress left. Susan ordered a Bouillabaisse and Harry ordered a Panino Cotoletta.

"How's school?" asked Harry, subsequently cursing at his question. They both went to the same school; they also had the same classes.

Susan laughed when Harry scowled. "It's great. I think I could get an EE in the courses, but, as you know, an O is the best."

"If you want, you can join in in our daily study sessions."

"Whom with?"

"There's me, Hermione, Luna, Neville and sometimes the twins would join in. They're retaking their N.E. ."

Susan looked interested. "I think I'd like that. You don't mind if I gather a couple of friends to come along, do you?"

Harry shook his head. "No, it'll be fine."

"It might end up like the DA back in fifth year." Susan warned. Their server came to place their food in front of them before he left. They took a few minutes to savor the first bite before continuing their conversation.

"I hope it doesn't." Harry laughed. "If it does though, at least there are enough of us that are the best in the subjects we like. I can help with Defense Against the Dark Arts, Neville with Herbology, Luna with Divination and Astronomy, Hermione with Arithmancy and Ancient Runes and Fred and George with Potions, Transfiguration and Charms."

Susan was quite taken with that information. "I could also help out tutoring," the Hufflepuff offered. "I may not be as good as Hermione with theory or you with the practical portion but I'd like to think that I'm fairly good at the courses themselves."

"Are you saying you're willing to tutor along with us during our study session should it enlarge?"

"I'd love to."

They continued to eat their food, never thinking the silence was awkward or anything like that. When they were done with their food and drinks, it was quickly taken away. Their hot chocolate was switched with hot green tea.

"Dessert?"

"Treacle tart."

"Lemon meringue pie."

The waitress left their table.

"So," said Harry.

"So," chimed Susan.

They both broke into laughter.

"Sorry if I'm so awkward."

"It's all right. You're doing just fine." Susan smiled. "I actually have a question for you."

"Which is?"

"You told me that Hermione was behind you on asking me out on a date."

"That is true."

"What made you choose me?"

Harry gave it a thought. "You are unique in your own way. You're nothing like the girls I've ever befriended, though it's hard to say. I've only found friends in Hermione and Luna. Every other girl was just an acquaintance or school mates."

Their dessert arrived and Susan took her first bite, leaving Harry to think over what he was going to say.

"I'm not dating you to get in your good graces so your aunt will be behind me in whatever I have planned for the Wizarding World."

"I have never thought you to be someone like that."

Harry smiled. "Well, you just seem really… special. I'm sorry if I can't explain myself."

"It's all right. I just hope I'm not bringing up any Oedipal Complex."

"No no!" Harry looked horrified. "Nothing like that! You may have red hair but it's more orangey red than a fiery red. You have brown eyes, not green. And anyways, I wouldn't compare you to my mother. Unlike Ginny however, she was hallucinating her entire life! I can't imagine the nonsense her mother and Dumbledore had inserted into her mind."

Susan laughed. "It's true. I've heard her talking about you all the time whenever she was around. If it wasn't 'Oh look at Harry!', it was 'He _has_ to love me.' It was quite frightening how obsessive she was, but now I understood why."

"I'm glad she's out of my life."

"Finished with that chapter in your books." Susan agreed, laughing.

"You smell really sweet." Harry suddenly said. Susan raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? You can smell my perfume?"

"Well, yes. But – well, you see..."

Susan smiled as she waited for him to stop stumbling over his words. Harry threw up a silence ward, a privacy ward and a notice-me-not charm on their table.

"What's with the secrecy?"

"I have to tell you something. Something really important that will affect our relationship."

Susan didn't dare tease him about calling their first date a 'relationship'.

"Go on Harry. Whatever it is, I can understand."

He sighed. "I have – I went through my magical and creature inheritance on my sixteenth birthday."

Susan gasped. "Sixteenth? But witches and wizards mature at seventeen years of age!"

"I know, but apparently because I'm such a powerful wizard that it, sort of, advanced a year ahead."

"How is that possible?"

"I'm not really sure, but the thing is – when I went through my creature inheritance, I became a High Elf."

Susan drew a breath in sharply. "A High Elf? But that's –"

Harry nodded. "The highest rank in an elven society. Because of my inheritance, everything about me increased – from better and stronger senses to quicker reactions and the like."

"But… don't elves have their own society?"

Harry took her hands in his own. "They do. And I have no doubt that someone will come for me on my seventeenth birthday. I'm probably going to have to rule their world or something along those lines if I know my luck."

"So… you're leaving the Wizarding World?"

"I'll live in both worlds. They're both a part of me and I don't want to choose one over the other. I'll make things work. After all, the elven society has been running for more than a thousand years – even without me there. If I do end up in a position of authority, I'll probably be just a figurehead, but I'll be sure to take an active stance."

"How do you know all of this? They haven't even visited you yet."

"I've read it in the books and tomes that the Goblins in Gringotts had given me. Elves and Goblins are allies in their own world, so once I came into my inheritance, a letter from Gringotts arrived and I received the information."

Susan nodded her head, following him so far. "So how is this going to affect our relationship?"

"My elf is currently searching for mates." Harry replied bluntly.

"So… I'm a candidate as your potential mate?"

Harry nodded his head. "You can say that, but it's also because I have to sire heirs for my titles. I don't want to treat you, Hermione or any of my other wives as birthing machines, but – well – you know how the laws work."

Susan had a thoughtful look on her face. "How else is our relationship going to be affected?"

"Considering elves are immortal…"

"I'm going to be changed aren't I?" Susan caught up with Harry's thought. Harry reluctantly nodded his head.

Susan licked her lips. Harry was glad that she hadn't removed her hands from his own. "So how is this ritual going to happen?"

"It's … a bit painful – the transformation that is. I can't go into details considering the elves haven't come to fetch me yet."

"But if I do end up as your mate –"

"You'll probably be changed."

Susan thought about her options. If she changed, she'll be leaving her aunt to old age. If she didn't change, she'll be leaving Harry, her new family and any future children they'll have together to old age.

Harry seemed to know what she was thinking. "I can change your family members – no doubt. But I have to be truthful to you right now. I currently, I mean, both my elven instincts and I, have already picked up several other candidates. I hope you don't mind that I've told you this already – so early in our relationship."

"Harry, this is only our first date."

"I know it's a lot to take in, but I want you to know what you're getting yourself into."

"You make it seem like you'll be dragging me into chaos."

"I'm pretty sure I've been dragged into trouble many of times. You've seen what happens each year I'm here."

"Yes, but no one has exactly spoken of what you've gone through. I mean, except for fourth year during the Triwizard Tournament, everything else is locked up."

Harry laughed. "Someone is definitely going to find out what happened during the five years I've been here. No doubt."

Susan joined in on his laughter. "We should eat our dessert before it gets cold."

"It's already cold."

"Don't be a smart mouth." Susan quipped. Then she paused and looked at Harry. "Your Treacle Tart is baked!"

They ate their dessert in silence, thoughts floating through their heads. Harry wondered if he'd already ruined any future progress with Susan. Susan, on the other hand, was more focused on how her life would be changing should she continue to date Harry.

Once dessert was finished and the green tea gone, Susan took Harry's hand in hers. "I think I can manage with you."

The smile on Harry's face made it all worthwhile.

…..

Their date moved to Dominic Maestro's, a music shop a couple of stores away from Madam Puttifoot's. After an hour of perusing through records of music, the duo left the shop with a bag full of Susan's favorite music from the Weird Sisters. They moved onto Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop and left after buying several scrolls of blank parchment paper and a handful of quills. They made their way to Honeydukes, bought several bags of chocolate and headed over to where the Shrieking Shack was – just sitting on a log that was several meters away from the haunted house itself.

"Why the Shrieking Shack? Isn't it haunted?"

Harry shook his head. "No. People just think that because they've heard howling from there." Noticing Susan's frightened look, he made to mollify her. "I'll tell you a secret, but no one else can know."

Susan nodded and swore a promise.

"The howling is just from my godfather, Remus Lupin."

"He's a werewolf?"

Harry nodded his head grimly. "Fenrir turned him when he was a child. So he has to go to the Shrieking Shack whenever it's the full moon. He doesn't want to hurt anyone at all. Remus is really sweet and nice."

Susan nodded her head. "I know. He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor we've ever had."

"Thanks for understanding."

"Not at all. I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me about your godfather."

"Remus isn't my only godfather."

"Who else?"

"Sirius Black."

" _The_ Sirius Black?"

Harry nodded his head. Susan burst out laughing. "Only you Harry." The Gryffindor grinned at her response before the two of them fell silent.

"You still haven't told me about what you smelled other than my perfume." Susan said, breaking the silence after a good ten minutes passed.

Harry laughed, "I guess I didn't." Susan's head was rested against his shoulder, so all Harry had to do was turn his head and take a small whiff of her scent. "Strawberry scented shampoo, orchid chord with sultry woods and rich fruits scented perfume," Harry let out a deep rumbling growth when the smell enveloped him in a heady, sensual aura, "there's also a hint of a chocolate from two hours ago."

"Not bad." Susan said breathlessly.

"Thanks." grinned Harry. Susan ended up playing with Harry's fingers the rest of the time they sat there. After half an hour, they made to return to Hogwarts.

Harry escorted Susan back to the Hufflepuff Common Room and left her there with a kiss to her hand and to her cheek. "Until next time." He said smoothly, bidding her goodbye.

Susan stayed there watching his retreating back turn the corner before stumbling into the Common Room and up to her dormitory.

"So?! Details!" Hannah gushed, seeing the starry look in Susan's eyes.

"He was a total gentleman."

Hannah laughed. "Come on Suze! More than that! Where'd he take you?"

"We went to Madam Puttifoot's, then to Dominic Maestro's, Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, Honeydukes and then the Shrieking Shack."

Hannah wrinkled her nose. "Shrieking Shack?" Susan nodded her head. "Why there?"

"He told me some stuff – _secret_ stuff." Susan stressed when Hannah almost bowled her over to find out. "I can't tell you. It's Harry's business."

"Okay, fine. Then what else did you do?"

"Oh! We got the new album from the Weird Sisters! And then he got me scrolls of parchment paper, some quills and some chocolate. He also said I could join in on their study sessions."

"Why would you need study sessions? Your grades are perfectly fine."

Susan blanched. "If you believe three O's and three EE's are 'perfectly fine', then you're dead wrong."

Hannah scoffed. "Fine, fine. What else?"

Susan pursed her lips. "There's nothing juicy about our date if that's what you're fishing for. We went out like a normal couple. He gave me chocolates when we met up because he found out that I was allergic to flowers."

"How considerate of him."

"And he kissed on at the back of my hand and my cheek when he departed."

Hannah squealed. "How did it feel?!"

"Very… soft."

…...

Surprisingly when Harry spoke of his date with Susan Bones, neither Hermione nor Neville and Luna teased Harry about it. They also thought it was a great idea for Harry to start up a study session that would be similar to that of the DA during their fifth year.

"We'll ask Professor McGonagall about it. That way we can use our free periods as study sessions for each subject."

"We have seven subjects, six double free periods, one double break, and three regular breaks. We also have the weekend to have a study session, though it would cut into our dates." Harry said, kissing Hermione on the cheek. "But, I'm sure Professor McGonagall and the other professors won't refuse our idea."

"We can ask her during dinner then."

And so they did. After having the Head of Houses, as well as the other professors, agree with their idea, they handed out copies of the study session schedule that would coincide with all the students in the sixth year. The study sessions were now as follows: instead of the double free periods, consisting of two hours, each day, Monday would have a Herbology study session, Tuesday – Ancient Runes Study Session, Wednesday – Charms Study Session, Thursday – Arithmancy Study Session after their break, Friday – Potions Study Session after a Double Arithmancy period. On Saturday and Sunday after lunch, there would be a Defense Against the Dark Arts Study Session and a Transfiguration Study Session, respectively. Of course, the copies were all recopied for students who were in their sixth year and by the next morning, the quartet were told that each house's sixth year students were all attending the study session.

It surprised the Gryffindors to no end that Professor Snape had given his house five points per student for attending the study sessions – as a reward for inter-house unity. Soon after, Professor McGonagall rewarded her own house, smirking when she saw Severus scowl in her direction. With a chuckle, Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout had also rewarded their students with five points each.

The month passed by fairly quickly, with the amount of work and studying the sixth year students went through. But, the results were astonishing; all sixth year students had increased by a letter grade, so a majority of them were within the O's and EE's ranges. At most, some students only had one class that was still in EE while the rest of the grades were O's. Parents receiving the quarterly results from their child's professors saw an improvement and vastly approved of the study sessions. They believed that with better grades, the students will become smarter and in turn, the Wizarding World would flourish under the younger generations' knowledge, abilities and skills.

Throughout the month of January, other than vigorously studying and prepping in lieu of his seventh year's N.E. next year, Harry had taken both Hermione and Susan on dates. With each date their relationship would grow and their attraction to each other would draw them closer to one another. Other than his fiancée and girlfriend, Harry was already itching for another mate. It surprised Harry when he realized that he wanted someone who would protect him like he would protect Hermione and Susan.

He had talked about it with both Hermione and Susan – to which they replied that as long as Harry was happy, they would be happy too. They didn't mind that Harry's next mate could possibly be a male nor did they mind that his mates could and possibly would be older than them. Sure males are seen as the more protective and dominate in relationships, but they believed that perhaps it was a person that Harry was more gender specifically geared towards, but more of a trait that he was looking for in his next candidate.

"But I might be bisexual, you know! _Bisexual!_ "

Hermione and Susan shared a look, "Honestly Harry. We don't care if you were gay or lesbian or any of the other sexual orientations. If you feel that you need a mate who protects you, which is stupid considering we can protect you just as well, then Susan and I are right behind you. But seriously, I think you're just anxious to find someone who can take the reigns in your life while not making you feel so manipulated – like Dumbledore had. Maybe you're not really looking for a male partner. Maybe just someone you can confide your troubles to."

Harry, in turn, took several days to think about which person had caused his instincts to call out for a protector. While the young wizard himself was stuck between a couple of people, his elven instincts screamed at him to take them all. Of course, Harry had to curb his instincts; he didn't want to jump any potential candidates and scare them off. Days passed after that revelation and it was finally Valentine's Day.

…..

A/N: I don't really like the end of this chapter. I was trying to set up a Harry harem with a few girls and maybe some guys… It's really frustrating to me right now. I can't put it into words. I _want_ like literally _want_ Harry to have one guy, yet my readers have vied for an all female harem. I understand that I started out this with that, but now my writing's going off into a different direction. I just need ONE! You can't understand how much this is bugging me. Therefore, if I do end up writing the way that pleases me, I hope no one thinks too poorly of me. Thank you for your everlasting support!


	10. Affectionate Commitments

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

A/N: I've changed my mind! Straight female harem. No males.

Chapter 10

~ Affectionate Commitments ~

"Professor Snape, might I have a word with you?" Harry asked, after catching up to the potions master in the corridors.

"You aren't going to ask me to brew you any love potions, are you? Amortentia is illegal, Mr. Potter-Black; surely you know all about this."

"I am currently in a relationship with two beautiful women; I have no need for Amortentia." Harry said.

"Well, well. Your love should be something you hold onto once you lose all that air in that bloated head of yours." Severus said, leading the Gryffindor into his private quarters.

"What do you need, Harry?" Severus asked, once they had settled down into the small den.

Harry didn't speak at first, going over his thoughts and the past few months' worth of experience he'd had in his, suddenly changed, life. Severus allowed him his peace – it wasn't difficult to see how different Harry was compared to his father. He was more like Lily, Severus should have known, but he had been caught up in his hate for his father that he had refused to see Harry for whom he was. His silent musings were broken when Harry took a deep breath, as if to calm his nerves down before delving into something private.

Severus knew how private of a person Harry was. Like Severus, Harry valued his privacy – it was also one of the things that helped bring the two together while Severus had stayed in 12 Grimmauld Place over the summer with the boy, the dog and the wolf.

"I-I'm not – I don't know what to do, Sev. It's just…everything is moving so fast. I don't feel like I'm in control of my life right now." Harry admitted, his hands wrapped around the warm mug of chamomile tea that Severus's house elf had brought in for the two of them.

Severus took a sip of his tea before he spoke. "It feels like someone else is living your life. Someone else has taken the reigns as you watch the on-goings in the backseat."

"Exactly." Relieved green eyes looked up towards onyx black ones.

"I would expect it is somewhat nerve-wracking to suddenly realize that your inheritance has appeared a year earlier – end up having to find seven wives and now be so wealthy that everyone in Wizarding Britain, never mind the rest of the world, will now fall at your feet for permanently defeating Voldemort." Severus listed with an amused grin.

"Doesn't help that some fan mail consists of girls throwing themselves at me – guys as well, mind you. There was this one time that Hermione caught sight of a girl's fan letter – she immediately set it on fire with her accidental magic."

"Is that what happened?" Severus said with a wry smile. Everyone in the Great Hall had seen that incident.

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed. "That girl had no self-respect! She sent a _naked_ picture of herself wrapped in a thin red stripped bow. A BOW! NAKED!"

Severus took another sip; now he understood why Harry had come to him with his problems. If it had been his godfather, the potions master knew that the old dog would guffaw at Harry's worries, even insisting that he was like his father in more ways than his appearance. The ex-Auror would not have taken this seriously until Harry would get angry at him and only until then would Sirius realize that Harry's worries were actually quite serious.

"I might be gay." Harry then revealed.

"Do you see men in the same like as you see women?"

"No. . . not really." Harry admitted.

"Do you. . . find men attractive? Give them a double-look? Feel the same way towards them as you do towards Ms. Granger or Ms. Bones?"

"No," Harry said confidently.

"Then what do you feel towards men?"

"I wonder how they can be so brave." Harry hedged uncertainly. "How they can stand on their two feet and brace the world's problems on their shoulders. How they can protect the ones they love – that they care about."

"Men are not the only ones that can protect their loves ones, Harry." Severus gently chided.

Harry looked away with a blush, "I didn't mean it. I just –"

"I understand." Severus said, stopping Harry's ramblings. "But people are only brave because they have something they want to protect. They want to cherish the happiness, the smiles they see in those they care about. They care about the future, not only theirs, but those around them and their unborn children. That is strength. And yes, despite the old coot being quite adamant that love is the key to strength, he was correct. He just didn't believe in your own path, wanting to forge his own in order to have things done his way."

"Well then. He was an idiot." Harry declared.

The potions master smirked, bring the topic round back. "Now then, why the unease towards your sexuality?"

Harry fidgeted in the armchair, fingers flexing around the warm mug.

"Does this have to do with being unable to control your life?" Severus asked.

Harry nodded meekly and that's when Severus saw him for who he really was. Harry was just a sixteen year old boy with five years experience in the Wizarding World. He knew absolutely nothing of his parents except for the things he's heard from others. He knew nothing about the prophecy until fifth year; Harry had been tested for all five years – four of them having to deal with facing Voldemort. And he had finally taken a man's life. Now sixteen, he needed to find seven women to marry and mate with as he was now a High Elf – with no knowledge of the magical creature other than the facts in the tome he received from the werewolf himself.

"You are always able to make your own decisions, Harry." Severus said softly. "You need protection and your family provides that – the mutt, the wolf and yes, even I count as your family. Your friends provide you support – Mr. Longbottom, Ms. Lovegood, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Weasley. Your wives will provide you with love – Ms. Granger, Ms. Bones and whomever the other lucky five women may be. Whatever you need, Harry, you have everyone around you. You have not noticed, but everyone has stood by you, even if they have not said anything out loud. Normally an obvious support is the best thing for everyone, but sometimes silent and subtle support is the strongest thing for us."

"You make it seem like I cannot come to you guys for anything else other than what you've specified." Harry laughed.

Severus broke out into a small smile. "I see you can still joke at a time like this."

"Thanks Severus." Harry said, drinking down the rest of the tea. "I really needed the talk."

"Think nothing of it, Harry. You were just insecure about how fast-paced your life had become. It's okay to think about your sexuality in a manner if you really feel like your affections can also include the male gender." Severus concluded. He turned his head towards the door and knocked back the rest of his sea, placing the empty mug onto the side table. "Now, I think that's the bell for lunch. We wouldn't want to miss our meal, now would we?"

Harry smiled and placed his own empty mug down onto the side table, leaving the room with his potions master behind him.

…..

 **February 14** **th** **, Valentine's Day**

It was quite nerve wrecking for Harry on this day, but he remembered Severus's words and earned a little extra confidence in himself. While he had wanted to hang out with both Susan and Hermione, it seems that the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor had already made plans together and confirmed it before telling Harry that he would be spending time with Susan for the first half of the day and Harry would be spending time with Hermione for the rest of the day. So that was what Harry did.

"Morning Harry," Neville greeted once the elf had stepped out of the showers.

"Morning Neville," Harry smiled as he walked through the room, drying his hair with a towel.

"Got anything _special_ to do today?" The shy Gryffindor asked, pulling up his pajama top.

Harry chuckled, throwing the towel into the laundry basket and sifting through his trunk for an outfit. "Yeah. I'm going to spend the first half of the day with Susan and then the second half with Hermione. What about you?"

Neville hummed. "I'm taking Hannah to Hogsmeade. We're going to have our date there, but since it's a bit colder than usual, we might just stay there for less than a few hours. We'll probably return soon."

Harry grinned broadly, mirroring Neville's own smile before the latter walked away to get ready. The elf had finished putting his outfit on when there was a tapping on his window. Turning to see the bird who had retrieved his package, Harry wasn't surprised to find that it was Hedwig who was trying to get in.

Opening the window, he allowed Hedwig to perch on his arm before untying the package. "Thanks Hedwig," Harry smiled. "Susan is going to love it."

The snowy white owl hooted and bobbed her head, as if affirming that there would be no way that the Hufflepuff wouldn't like her hatchling's gift. After all, it was thoughtful! Plus, it showed that Harry remembered her allergies.

"I'll see you later, Hed," Harry smiled.

The owl hooted once more and flew out of the room, towards the Owlery.

The elf had met up with the Hufflepuff who was all dressed up for their small date, with a gift hidden behind his back. Susan wore her hair up in a side ponytail that was draped over her right shoulder. She wore a burgundy draped cardigan over a cream sheer button down blouse with a ribbon tied above the top button and pair of jeans that fit snugly against her skin, framing those gorgeously well-toned legs and her firm arse; Harry had to keep his eyes from wandering back to it.

"Er, I got you Patchi chocolates. I thought you'd like the the taste of flesh milk and premium cocoa." Harry replied stiffly, handing the small but highly decorated package over to Susan.

"Is this a muggle chocolate?" Susan asked.

Harry nodded his head. "It's a combination of Swiss and Belgian flavors."

Susan smiled. "Are you going to keep up the muggle brands of chocolates, each time we meet up for a date?"

Harry shrugged, "I just thought you might like to try something new. After all, it would probably get boring tasting the same Wizarding sweets year after year. This is just something new for your palate."

"How very. . . thoughtful."

"Thoughtful in a good way or . . ?"

Susan giggled, kissing Harry on the cheek. "Definitely a good way. I want to have a piece about the muggle world, even if it is just the foods that are different."

Thanking her date for the gift, Susan walked alongside Harry as they headed to the Great Hall. Harry spent half of his day, before lunch, with Susan sitting by the Black Lake after sitting with her at the Hufflepuff table for a light breakfast. Harry had sent a warming charm at the snowy ground besides a large and sturdy willow tree that sat before the large body of water, allowing for a great view. He first sat down before allowing Susan to sit firmly onto his lap. He threw a blanket over the two of them and heated it up with a warming charm. Dobby came by five minutes later with a small picnic basket and two mugs of hot chocolate with whipped cream.

"Thank you Dobby," Harry smiled.

"Dobby be helping Harry Potter whenever he needs! All Harry Potter needs is to be calling for Dobby!" The house elf nodded his head, firmly believing in the words he spoke.

"Well, I'm thankful that you've done the cooking for us today," Susan smiled.

The house elf tittered with glee, "Does Missy Bones and Harry Potter need anything else?"

"No, we're good. Thanks again." Harry smiled.

The house elf nodded once more before popping back to the castle.

Harry pulled the picnic basket close to them and waved his hand, removing the dishes packed inside so they could see the variety they would be eating.

"So this is what you have planned for today?" Susan asked, looking over the dishes that were charmed to stay warm even in the cold Scottish air.

"Pretty much," Harry shrugged. "I thought it would be nice if we had a little private moment between the two of us. Away from the public."

"And how did you suppose you'll do that if the students start walking out of the castle and around the Black Lake?"

"Privacy charms and spells?" Harry replied, sheepishly.

Susan rolled her eyes and plucked up a small finger sandwich. "Here."

Harry raised his eyebrows and smirked, taking a bite of the sandwich and sucking Susan's fingers clean in the process. "Delicious," He said with a sensual grin.

Susan's cheeks tinted pink from a sudden overcoming of shyness as she ate from Harry's hand as the elf fed her a strawberry covered with chocolate fondue.

"Dobby does a good job of cooking," Susan smiled, covering her mouth as she chewed. Harry removed her hand and licked the remaining chocolate drizzle from her bottom lip, sucking on them before pulling back.

"You're right. He does a fine job." He smirked.

Susan's cheeks were brighter than before and it had nothing to do with the nipping cold wind that brushed past them every so often. She slapped him on the chest before moving onto to a sandwich, feeding herself when Harry attempted to take a bite out of it.

Smiling victoriously at her boyfriend's pout, Susan held her sandwich in her mouth and reached over for another finger sandwich before continuing her own.

Three hours passed by and during this time, Harry would feed Susan bite-sized chocolates or read her cheesy poems and talk about school. They had ended their picnic with a thorough discussion of politics and had thanked Dobby for cleaning up after them. They ended their small, mini date with a kiss on the lips, which grew into a passionate tongue sucking and mouth exploring adventure. As they pulled away, Susan's lips were bruised from the kisses and Harry's nibbles on her bottom lip.

"Thanks for a great Valentine's Day date." Susan breathed, chest heaving from the lack of air from their make out session.

The elf swallowed and smiled. "If this is a treat for all days we have a date, we should do it more often."

Piling the empty dishes back into the picnic basket, the duo walked back to the castle hand in hand, delivering their container over to an awaiting Dobby who squealed when he looked in and realized that they had finished his, _his_ , handmade lunch for them. The house elf squeaked when both Susan and Harry thanked him once more, disappearing with a shyness that was not familiar to those who knew of the house elf.

"So what is this going to be? Between us I mean." Susan said.

"Well, we've been on a couple of dates. And honestly, I'm enjoying your presence. I intend to end our courting session with marriage. I only have one gift left, but I hope you'll enjoy it as much as the other gifts you've received."

Susan smiled softly at Harry's nervousness. "Of course I'll love it. I'll love it just because it came from you. It doesn't have to be extravagant or fancy."

Harry heaved a sigh of relief, "That's good." Fingering his pocket, he pulled out a small box wrapped with golden gift wrapping paper and decorated with a shimmering gold bow. Tapping on it with a finger, the elf handed the present over after it returned to its normal size.

Opening the box, Susan smiled. "Well. . . it's definitely _not_ extravagant. But how did you get this?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "I hired Collin to take pictures of us whenever he could. Then I just piled up the pictures and sorted them out. It isn't much, considering it's just starting from the time we began to date, but it's enough to fill up some of the album. Plus, I thought you would like it. It's not much, but I hope you like it."

"It's sentimental and romantic." Susan smiled. "And we can add to it when we get more pictures." Turning each page, Susan laughed when he saw the one where Harry had dropped to the ground to dodge a prank that had gone awry when one of the Weasley twins' test subjects had released a new invention they created, Spitting Fireballs – a chewable gum that would heat up with each bite, turning into a fireball when the chewer would spit it out.

The invention had had some problems with trajectory _and_ targeting, so Harry had dodged it when the fireball came a little too close for the elf's comfort.

"It's great Harry. Really – thank you," Susan returned it to the box and shrunk it, pocketing her gift. Pulling the elf down to her level, she bestowed his lips with a kiss. "That was really thoughtful of you."

Harry smiled, wrapping his arm around Susan's waist. He planted a last kiss on the crown of her head, enjoying his second mate's immediate reaction, as she snuggled up closer to the elf's body.

As Susan and Harry moved to the Great Hall, they were met with whispers about their relationship. Susan walked with confident strides, even as girls glared at her for being one of the candidates to be Harry's future wife. It was quite obnoxious of them to believe that no one would be worth Harry's while, unless it was themselves that were wrapped around Harry's arm, with Harry's arm around their waist, and with Harry bestowing, what they believed to be, expensive and extravagant gifts for their courting session.

They all dreamed to be the next Lady Potter – yet that would be taken by one Hermione Jean Granger. However, they just shrugged that off. Whatever position they believed they would earn after marrying Harry was still something that would allow them to enter the high class pureblood society. The dreams of being filthy rich, not having to work the rest of their lives, wearing lavish clothes, being the center of attention at the arm of the most powerful wizard of all time, being _married_ to _the_ Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, Twice Defeater of Voldemort, was running rampant throughout the female students' heads.

Harry ignored all the zealous looks from the female student body, mirroring Susan's steps with poise, self-confidence and radiating with intoxicating power, eliciting even more downhearted sighs from them. Yet, there were some that would eye him as if he were a piece of meat, ready to sink their claws in when the Gryffindor, as they believed, would be done hanging around Susan. And if the two didn't break up, it was fine by them. After all, with seven titles and only two that would be taken – they would have five more chances to become one of Harry's wives. Five of them would be the so-called lucky winners that would live the rest of their lives in riches and luxury.

Somewhat oblivious to the stares of their year mates and others, but not letting the stares erase the happiness either one of them felt, Susan and Harry spent the rest of lunch together where others would wolf-whistle and jeer at their obvious public display of affection.

But it was fine by them. They were dating after all. And after lunch, Harry was all Hermione's.

…..

"Oh, Neville! There you are." Harry said with surprise. "I thought you and Hannah were heading over to Hogsmeade."

Neville shrugged, seeing his best friend, walking up to the Gryffindor table with Susan in his arm. Hannah was sitting besides him, easily chatting him up before catching sight of her best friend.

"It is supposed to snow later on, so Hannah and I thought it would be best to stay indoors and just chat around the fireplace. That's why we hung out at the 'you know where' until lunch time."

Harry removed his arm from around Susan's waist, watching as his girlfriend skipped over to the other Hufflepuff and start up a new conversation. The elf took a seat next to Neville and grabbed a plate of food, feeling hungry even after his picnic date with Susan.

"It was quite nippy. You can tell from our noses and cheeks, but I placed a strong warming charm around our sitting area. It helped that we also had a warming charm on the blankets we sat on and the blankets we were wrapped around with."

Neville turned to look at Susan before returning his gaze to Harry. "So, I'm guessing that your date went well?"

Harry nodded his head. "She liked the last gift for our courting session. I'm glad you told me about it. Thanks, by the way. But," Harry snorted. "Remember the look on Collin's face when I told him that he had permission to take my picture, only for the album? And to keep it silent and a secret?"

Neville choked on his pumpkin juice, scowling at his dorm mate when he felt the juice dripping from his chin. Grabbing a napkin, he wiped his mouth and chin and then proceeded to throw the used tissue at Harry.

"You're a right git you know that?"

Harry shrugged with a grin on his face, "It was the perfect time to remind you of it."

"Did you have to do that in front of my girlfriend?" Neville asked with an exasperated sigh.

"Oh! _Girlfriend_ , huh?" Harry echoed, eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

Neville rolled his eyes, " _Speaking_ of girlfriends, you up for your date with Hermione? I heard from Lavender and Parvati that she was still in their dorm when they came down for breakfast. Wouldn't tell me what was going on though. Just kept. . . giggling."

Harry groaned. Hogwarts' two most gossipy girls, the two girls that seemed to know all the rumors and dirt on all the students in the school, were keeping _quiet_ about what was going on with Hermione?

He looked down the table and saw said Gryffindors looking away when they caught him staring at them. Sighing, Harry placed a hand on Neville's shoulder. "Is there anything I should be wary of?"

Neville thought about it and shook his head. "No, nothing of importance. But all girls take time to get ready for their dates."

Harry smiled, "Speaking of. It's about time I met up with Hermione. I'll catch you later."

"See you, Harry."

The Gryffindor walked up to Susan and kissed her on the cheek, saying his goodbyes before he walked out of the Great Hall and headed over to the Gryffindor tower.

…..

Harry and Hermione had walked around Hogwarts grounds, hands held together with Hermione leaning her head on Harry's arm. There was no need for conversation – all except for Harry's compliment of Hermione's outfit. She left her hair down curled at the ends and wore brown makeup – even her lipstick was a dark brown. Hermione had on a blood red silky racer front bodycon dress that hugged every curve of her body. Red pumps helped to accentuate her toned calves and long, long legs.

Harry had nearly thrown caution to the wind when he saw her in that outfit with a sultry smile on her face. But he held steadfast and offered her a pair of entwined red and white thorn-less rosebuds, along with a box of chocolates. Knowing what it signified, Hermione's eyes glossed over with happy tears as she thanked Harry profusely with a passionate kiss.

However, the elf was not the only one to notice the bookworm's gorgeous transformation. As they cruised down the corridors, many female students would whisper behind their hands, eyeballing Hermione's outfit and companion with either distaste and jealousy or appreciation and awe.

Some of Hermione's sudden admirers were attributed to the hormonal male study body. Of course, Harry's death glare that would freeze even the darkest of hearts had sent them scurrying away. One of them had even dared to come up to the couple to ask Hermione for a date.

Harry wasn't surprised that it was Cormac McLaggen. In fact, Harry would have been surprised if it wasn't him! After all, only that particular Gryffindor had the gall (and the balls) to actually try something of that nature. His personality was awful and his table manners were atrocious, if only a little more refined than Ron had whilst he ate. And while his grades were a little above average, McLaggen's behavior was primitive –acting on his animalistic desires whenever he tried to woo a girl into his pants.

Cormac McLaggen, the Seventh year Gryffindor, was an absolute menace on the Quidditch field, but he was even more of a moronic, egocentric nitwit when he was grounded. And Harry didn't know if he should be amused that his death glare had practically reflected off of whatever sphere of stupidity that the elder teen emitted or the fact that Harry should listen to his elven instincts and just kill the _human_ who dared to encroach on his already spoken for mate.

"So how about it Hermione?" Cormac repeated, his eyes roving over Hermione's body. The lip licking did nothing to save him from the rabid elf that seemed to promise death. Only Hermione knew how close Cormac was to dying if it hadn't been for her calming Harry down by curling up around his arm.

"Why don't you just step aside?" She asked warningly. Her tone was a mixture of one that warned McLaggen to leave them in peace and one that subtly advised the seventh year Gryffindor to stay away from them if he knew what was good for him. Though Hermione enjoyed Harry's admiring gaze when he first set eyes on her, disgust rolled off her in waves when she saw Cormac staring at her like she was a piece of meat. "I'm dating Harry you know. We're _engaged_?"

"So?" Cormac asked, idiotically. "Didn't you know? Most of the pureblood men who are married, _also_ have affairs on the side. So don't be surprised if you find out that _Potter_ is involved in a few hanky-panky's of his own."

The students around them didn't know if they should move closer to see what would happen, or step away when they felt a dark aura emanating from the Boy-Who-Lived. But their faces were more stricken with fear than anything else. Ultimately, it was practically a death sentence to claim that Harry was disloyal to Hermione, especially considering their five-year track record as two-thirds of the Golden Trio at Hogwarts.

"Are you _insinuating_ that Harry is involved with anyone other than Susan and I?" Hermione said, astounded by Cormac's foolishness.

"Yeah," Cormac smirked. _Finally_ , Granger was getting it! "And besides, we all know you're just in it for the money." He looked at Harry, trying to intimidate the younger Gryffindor, even when Harry was taller than he was.

"In it for the money?" Hermione echoed with a sense of detachment.

Cormac furrowed his eyebrows. "Yeah. After all, what other quality does Potter have that's good about him?" The seventh year Gryffindor frowned at Hermione. "Granger - is there something wrong with your hearing?"

Hermione glared up at him with furious brown eyes. "My auditory system is perfectly intact. Now would you please excuse us? Harry and I are spending time together today."

"You didn't disprove my claim. So you _are_ with Potter for the money." Cormac declared boldly, 'hmph'ing victoriously as if he'd won the argument.

Ignoring the imbecile, Hermione made a move to walk around the boorish teen, but was halted when Cormac yanked her back.

"Come on. Spend some time with me. You can't tell me that you didn't feel the sparks whenever our eyes meet."

"Hah! If it's revulsion, then it's true. That's what I felt whenever I caught you staring at me. And for your information, whenever our eyes met, that was only because you were being a creeper." Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh come on! You don't like what you see?" McLaggen scoffed, making a show of exhibiting the length of his body with a dramatic flourish of his hands. "Surely I'm better than this wimpy stick."

"You're treading on dangerous ground, McLaggen." Hermione warned. "And just so you know, Harry is leagues above you. Come on love. Let's go."

Stopping once more, the brunette slapped away the offending and restrictive appendage. Hermione glared her own version of Harry's glower, smirking when Cormac stepped away. "If you ever bother us again, I can tell you that it won't be by my wand that you will fall. I'm sure you understand _who_ I'm referring to?"

Cormac seemed to finally, _finally_ , get it into his head that the arm Hermione was wrapped around was Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, Golden Boy _and_ the Boy Who Defeated Voldemort Twice! The younger teen was standing besides Hermione with a silent, stoic and calm façade, but the seventh year even flinched when he felt Harry's livid magic washing over him in tides, practically drowning him like a tsunami.

Swallowing the thick lump that generated in his throat, Cormac staggered backwards at the full force of Harry's scowl before attempting to redeem himself in the eyes of his audience.

"Y- _You_ better watch _your_ back." He laughed weakly, turning to the onlookers for support, but was met by incredulous looks. Turning to look at Harry, he paled when he saw the sharp fangs that seemed to protrude from his gums. Running away from the duo, Cormac stumbled and tumbled until he disappeared from sight.

Harry closed his mouth and smiled at Hermione, who turned to examine what had frightened McLaggen so.

The elf just shrugged at her inquisitive gaze, "Maybe he had something else to do."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione dragged Harry down for a kiss, softly thanking him for allowing her to fight her own battles. With a dopey grin on his face, the elf allowed Hermione to lead them away from the crowding masses.

As they walked around the school grounds, surprisingly they hadn't come across anyone else. Perhaps the rumors and gossip that had come from their encounter with McLaggen had sent them scurrying away. But whatever the cause was, the couple was happy about it.

When they were outside, Harry would drape his coat over her shoulders, but he enjoyed the redness of her cheeks against her lightly tanned skin in the cold winter breeze.

Soon, they returned to the Great Hall as the sun had set and the temperature had dropped several degrees. Hermione had buttoned up Harry's jacket, not wanting other students to have wandering eyes on her body. She and her body were for Harry and for Harry's eyes _only_. After dinner had ended, Hermione told Harry that she had one more gift left for him to celebrate Valentine's Day with him.

…..

The couple walked up to the seventh floor and walked towards the left corridor of the Hogwarts castle drawing closer to the opposite side of the tapestry depicting the attempt of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet. Harry and Hermione were only a few feet away before a door appeared. Smiling at each other, Harry opened the door and allowed Hermione in first. Then he walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, hearing the door closer firmly behind them before disappearing.

Inside the Room of Requirement, the magic of the school had opened up a room that was lit by candles. At the edge of the room was a large queen sized bed with silk blue bed sheets, diamond patterned blue duvet and white fluffy pillows. To the left of the room was a large fireplace already crackling with brightly lit fire. The wall opposite of the fireplace was a medium sized window, showing the glowing full moon in all its glory. Other than that, there was a black round rug underneath the bed and a loveseat five feet away from the fireplace.

"It's perfect." Hermione breathed out. Harry bent his head down and took in Hermione's scent. It smelt of her arousal and anticipation of what they were about to do next, but her hands also shook slightly with uncontained nerves.

Pulling his mate into the middle of the room, classical music started to play as Harry pulled Hermione close to his chest, his right hand on her back and his left hand holding her right hand as if it were made from spun glass. Together, they swayed from side to side.

"Why Lord Potter." Hermione smiled foxily, looking up at the elf from underneath thick full lashes, sending Harry an image of a tantalizing scene before him – an eyeful of her cleavage on his beloved fiancée. The picture sent a jolt down to Harry's groin, but he kept his lust behind bars.

"Yes, my love?"

"I didn't know you knew how to dance." Harry smirked, his green eyes twinkling mischievously.

Hermione laughed when the elf spun her, before pulling her back to his chest and dipping her low, only to pull her up and kiss her.

"I had to learn. It was part of the lessons that Remus and Sirius taught me over the summer. Once I would inherit the titles, they knew I would be invited to many pureblood galas, so ballroom dancing is one of the know-hows I needed to be perfect at."

Harry twirled Hermione, before his right hand reclaimed its place at the small of her back. "Not bad, huh? Much better than my dancing during the Yule Ball fourth year."

Hermione giggled, "I cannot say for certain. I wasn't the one dancing with you that night."

"Ah yes. I believe my date was Parvati Patil." Harry bent down to whisper in Hermione's ear. "Don't tell anyone, but I think I stepped on her toes a good couple of times."

Hermione gave a mock horrified look, before smiling. "Well, I'm glad that you are doing a lot better now."

"You know," Harry began. "I really should have asked you out during fourth year, but I was too afraid of it – the change that might happen between us. Then I had an inkling that Ron had feelings for you – and you him after that comment he made about you being a girl. I was so stupid. I don't know why I didn't ask you as my date."

Hermione shook her head before leaning it against Harry's chest. "You're not the only one. I was afraid too. I knew that you had yet to realize any feelings of your own – not just towards me, but towards any female in the school. After all, you didn't even notice anyone's advances until after I told you that there were many girls hoping to be your date."

Harry chuckled softly, bringing his forehead against Hermione's. "I guess we were both stupid. We should have just acted like Gryffindors and taken a risk. I should have asked you out even if I didn't understand what it was that I was feeling towards you."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Well, no use crying over spilt milk. Our life together have yet to begin and I have no doubt that I'll be taking you and everyone of my wives to all the social gatherings I'll obviously have to attend. But at least the company is great." Harry said, laughing at his own joke.

The two spent half an hour in close contact, swirling around the center of the room until the songs ended. The room fell into silence, allowing the two to hear each other's soft breathing and feel the warmth of their bodies pressed up against each other. Their limbs had shifted during the dance. Harry's had wound themselves around Hermione's petite waist whilst Hermione had her arms circled around Harry's neck.

"It's all right, you know. We don't have to do this. I love you already." Harry whispered, as if their moment would break should he speak any louder. His Avada green eyes bore holes within Hermione's dark brown eyes. Hermione could tell that he was serious in his declaration. Hermione needn't prove to him that she needed to have sexual intercourse to prove her love and that it was the only way for them to proceed with marriage. She truly believed it as well, but she wanted it.

"No." Hermione shook her head. She swore she would go through with it and she would! "I want to do it. With you. Now. Please. It's my gift to you. My Valentine's Day gift."

She gasped, bending her head in the opposite direction to allow Harry more skin when his nose ghosted over Hermione's neck, quickly trailed by his slick wet tongue. Harry nodded his head and pulled Hermione to the middle of the room, away from the glow of the fireplace. Though he enjoyed how her hair shone from the fire, his enhanced vision allowed him to see the beauty before him even better than before.

Harry itched to mark her and caved into his instinct, leaving dark red border lining purple, hickies on her smooth soft skin. Nevertheless, as soon as Hermione moved to remove her attire, Harry bit his lip and pulled away, eyebrows furrowed together.

"W-What's wrong?" Hermione whispered.

Harry shook his head. "I can't do this."

"W-What? Why?" The hurt in Hermione's voice nearly did the elf in, but Harry stood firm.

"You know. You know as much as I do, how much I would love to," Harry whispered feverishly, brushing his hands over Hermione's body with reverence. His eyes tried to catch hers, but she kept looking away.

"Then why don't you?" She asked. Her eyes then grew wide with realization. "Is it what Cho said? Did she get into your head? I-I thought you loved me."

Harry reared his head back, "No! This has nothing to do with Cho!" Has this always been playing on Hermione's mind? For a month long? Did that petty Ravenclaw's words create such insecurities? Did Hermione _have_ such insecurities in her in the first place?

"I love you Hermione. Of course I do!" Harry said, his voice filled with promise and much more. But when Hermione refused to make eye contact, he lifted her chin with his finger and tilted his head closer to hers. "But, I just can't. I want your first time to be something unimaginable. I want your first time to be the night we marry. I want to follow traditions. I want to make your parents proud – to know that when your father walks you down that aisle, that you are pure, untainted by something that lust has thrown together in order to fulfill an itch that can be contained – contained by will."

Hermione sniffled and wiped at her eyes, allowing for Harry to erase the tear track marks. "But what about what _I_ want? _I_ want you now. _I_ want you to make love to me. _I_ can't wait until we marry."

Harry sighed and brought his mate against his chest, stroking her hair with gentle fingers that ran down the length of her back before moving back up to repeat the process all over again.

"You don't mean that. That's just the lust talking."

"It's love talking, not lust." Hermione insisted.

"Hermione, just because we stop today, doesn't mean that I won't marry you. Just because we don't have sex today doesn't mean that I will love you any less. And, this doesn't mean that our engagement is cancelled. Just stopping _today_ , right at this moment, means that we can control our primal urges – that _I_ can control my urges. You don't understand how much I just want to take you on that bed. I want you, as badly as you want me. But we can't do this, not now. Trust me."

"But what about what happened during the vacation –"

"I should hope that that was just something that would tide the both of us over should we wish to move further than needed. I suppose touching each other is all right, but the act of sex is something that we should wait until we get married."

Hermione looked into the elf's green, green eyes and saw all the things unspoken there. All the unspoken promises, the truth of the matter and the love that she believed was magnified by thousands when compared to those she saw in her reflection in his eyes. Yet, she knew that their love was about equal and nodded her head.

"Okay." Then she threw him a halfhearted glare. "If our wedding night isn't as grand as you make it out to be –"

The elf laughed happily, kissing the breath out of Hermione. "No, I should hope it is. After all, we both love each other. Isn't that what matters?"

"I've read that –"

"Hermione, you can't learn or experience sex through a book."

Hermione harrumphed and turned her head. Eyeing the bed, she turned to look at Harry. "Well. . . the bed will go to waste."

"Shall we?" Harry grinned.

And the night passed on with loving touches and intimate gestures.

…..

A/N: Ooo la la~ Things are getting a little steamy! R&R (: Also, I might start an account in aff just in case ff doesn't allow for certain… _scenes_ to be placed in the site. I'll let you know! :D


	11. The Third Mate

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

A/N: I've changed my mind! Straight female harem. No males. The phase has come and gone. Honestly, it felt like a craving – but rather than food, it was just a need to have a male with Harry. But yeah, like I previously stated – no males, all female harem.

Chapter 11

~ The Third Mate ~

 **February 15** **th**

Harry awoke from his slumber with Hermione draped over his body. Relishing in the warm contact that his mate provided him, the elf slowly adjusted his arm and moved to comb through Hermione's hair, feeling her brown tresses slip through his fingers.

He watched her, heard her mumbling underneath her breath, enjoyed the scent that was mixed between each other, and enjoyed the feel of smooth skin on his fingers. They had slept in their undergarments, their clothes thrown haphazardly on the floor. Grateful for the fireplace that the Room of Requirement provided, the duo was able to sleep with the thick covers pulled to their waist, even with a blazing fire on when the weather outside and within the castle was as cold as day.

After a half an hour later, Hermione's breathing grew lighter and her body started to twitch. Harry smiled, waiting for her to wake up, but enjoying the small moment he was allowed when she was asleep.

Hermione made the cutest snuffling noise a few seconds before she would actually awake, which would occur a few seconds after her eyes would dart around behind her eyelids before coming to a halt.

"Mmm. . . Harry?"

"G'morning love." Harry smiled brightly, planting a kiss on her forehead.

The elf waited for Hermione to catch on and watched with amusement as she sat up blushing. Looking down, she grabbed at the covers and covered her body. Harry only raised his arms and placed them behind his head, cushioning and raising his head to look at his mate properly.

"I thought we got over the embarrassment stage. We've seen each other naked after all."

Hermione flushed. "This just feels different."

"More intimate?"

"Exactly."

Harry smirked, "Well I hope you get over it soon. After all, I'll be seeing you naked on our wedding night."

The elf sniggered, leaping off of the bed as Hermione screamed profanities at him as she threw the pillows after him. After realizing that she was cursing, Hermione threatened Harry, though her threats were taken not so seriously.

Hermione sighed and rubbed a hand through her hair, shrieking when she realized that it had returned to its fuzzy, bushy state.

"I need the bathroom now! Get out Harry!"

And with that order, the elf allowed his mate to take the bathroom first, waiting patiently for his turn to come.

…..

Harry walked on with pride as he smelt his scent all over Hermione. He could see the few hickeys he left on her and was glad she left some out to show that she was taken. Harry himself had gone with a sweater, allowing whoever had seen him full view of the dark and bruised hickeys on his neck. When in his dormitory changing, Harry had caught the sight of his back and saw that it was littered with scratch marks made when Hermione had been in such a euphoric state. The hickeys were placed all over his neck, shoulders, his broad chest, his abs and even some near his inner thighs.

Harry grinned wickedly when he remembered that that Hermione's body would also be littered with hickeys and bite marks, all over her front and all over the back. But no one would ever get a chance to see it. Nobody but him, and that was what he wanted.

Helping Hermione into her seat first, Harry walked over to Susan, kissed her "Good morning," and offered her an invitation to sit with the Gryffindors for breakfast. Taking the offer, Susan joined him at the lion's table. He waved hello to his Quidditch team bar Ginny, rolling his eyes when they teased him about his marks. Harry sat down next to Hermione and began to pile food onto her plate before his own. Neville joined them soon afterwards, followed by Luna as the two of them had a knowing smile on their faces.

"Not a word." Hermione warned, her face already flushed red with embarrassment.

"About what?" Demelza asked, looking between the four of them.

"We didn't say anything, did we Luna?" Neville asked, turning to his bench companion.

"Not at all. I mean, if we did, we'd mention all those dark hickeys that show Harry's possessiveness at its finest and your glowing look that many couples get from having sex and your lips that are more plump red and are no doubt bitten many times –"

"All right already. No need to tease us." Hermione interrupted, urging Harry to keep their friends at bay. She had already covered Demelza's ears, and the younger Gryffindor had looked around, eyes wide with curiosity as her hearing had been cut off. Though her brown eyes were narrowed in concentration, trying to read their lips, she still hadn't really gotten the full idea.

"That's right guys. Whatever Hermione and I do is none of your business." He smiled, grinning at them. "And besides, we haven't done the do yet."

Susan's face was shocked, though there seemed to be some relief hidden in her expression. "So you guys haven't. . . you know –"

"No, we didn't," Hermione smiled, and she looked quite proud of it too.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her friends' accepting glances before eating her breakfast, noting how Harry would do small things like fill her plate with more food or fill her goblet with more juice and even helping to wipe her mouth for her. His eyes would also flit across her body with a heat of fiery passion in them that would send shivers down her spine. It seems as if Harry would be more sexually active now, more touchy feely, now that they were together as lovers. But Hermione didn't mind; she enjoyed the sexual touches and hoped there would be more, especially since Harry had another year of puberty left to enlarge his already thick cock.

Hermione licked her lips at Harry, staring down at his crotch before she heard Neville teasing statement of, "In the bedroom please Hermione. Not out in public." She grinned at him before eating her breakfast, enjoying how Harry had linked their hands together on top of the table.

"You know what I heard?" said Luna, drawing the quintet's attention to her.

"What?"

"The darker the hickey, the more possessive the person is about his or her lover."

Hermione's face flushed darkly, but Harry just sat there smiling at her goofily. Demelza blushed, easily focusing on her breakfast when the bushy-haired brunette urged her to do so.

"No no." Neville refuted. "I heard that the darker the hickey, the longer the man can last in bed." He laughed, "Or at least, that's what Fred and George has frequently told me."

Hermione covered her face in embarrassment. She didn't know whether to scream at her friends in anger or laugh at what they were spouting.

Harry grinned wickedly and motioned all four of them to lean in. Demelza ignored the beckoning, knowing that it was not yet her time to learn of such things. "I heard that the longer the hickey stays, the longer both people will be having sex without ever taking a break."

He smirked when Hermione slapped his arm, but he was going to make what he said true. With lots of practice, he was going to go for hours, even days on end just making love to Hermione. She would never know which way was up by the time he was done with her. His cock throbbed at his thoughts and jumped when he felt Hermione's hand plant firmly on it, rubbing it through his slacks.

He leaned over and whispered seductively in her ear. "You're just asking for it."

"We have to study for our classes," said Hermione, but she never stopped massaging his growing erection.

"If you continue this, I'm going to take you in front of the Great Hall." Harry growled when Hermione added more pressure to her fondling.

"I doubt you'd do so," Hermione smirked, removing her hand from his erection. "Even if your elven instincts scream at you to do so, you still want to graduate from Hogwarts."

With a sigh, knowing that Hermione was correct, Harry willed his erection away, a scary scene of Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore having sex, and finished up his meal.

"Shall we?" He asked, and with twin smiles, Susan and Hermione took his hands in their own and the trio walked to their first classes. Neville and Luna waved good-bye to Demelza before they followed suit behind Harry and his girls. Unbeknownst to the trio, a pair of icy blue eyes stared longingly at their retreating forms.

…...

The second Hogsmeade weekend after Valentine's Day was spent happily in the small town just a small walking distance away from the castle. As the snow had yet to melt, the scenery was still white and pure.

Their group of four moved onto the Three Broomsticks, quickly ordering four Butterbeers as they warmed themselves from the cold, frigid temperature. Thanking Rosemerta for the drinks, they settled into amicable and light chatter before leaving to wander around the shops.

They passed by Katie who was with Leanne, from Hufflepuff, and the two dipped into the Three Broomsticks.

When they walked up to the castle, they heard loud voices a few feet away.

"No, Katie! You can't! We should find a teacher –"

"No, Leanne. It's a surprise. I have to get it to her."

"You can't honestly tell me you found that in the loo, just to give it to her."

"She's the receiver. It's her present. She'll like it."

Turning, they realized it was Leanne and Katie. "Hey guys! Leaving so soon?" Harry asked, but he frowned when their voices grew louder and louder.

"Give it here!"

"No!"

"Katie!"

When the quartet ran up to the duo to prevent them from fighting over the small package, they heard a loud ripping noise and suddenly, Katie shot up into the air, screaming as if death had come upon her.

"Katie!" screamed Leanne, jumping up to tug on her friend's boot to bring her down. But nothing could pull the floating girl.

The package was left on the ground, wrapping paper ripped up, presenting a black necklace set in dark pearls and black opals.

"What happened?!"

"I don't know!" Leanne sobbed, pulling hard on Katie's shoes. "She went to the loo – and the package – now she's –"

Katie rose too high, slipping from Leanne's grasp. And as if a puppeteer were stringing her up, Katie's body jerked in an unnatural and possessed way, her back bowed until her hands practically draped over the heels of her feet, all the while screaming as if someone had shoved a hand through her chest and torn out her heart.

Only after did Katie's body stretch in a way that indicated a painful tug-of-war, did she finally collapse; the puppet's strings severed from its maker.

With no teacher in sight, Harry picked the girl up in his arms, nodding to Hermione as he sped towards the castle. The brunette had already quickly levitated the piece of jewelry, Luna and Neville sharply flicked their wands, watching as snow piled on until the adornment was a one-foot radius snowball. And even then, Hermione enlarged the packaging paper, wrapping it tightly around the cursed object.

Together, the four ran towards the castle – towards the infirmary to give the witness statement to a deathly pale Madam Pomfrey.

…..

"What do you think it is, Severus?" Professor McGonagall murmured. Her eyes were distraught, but the woman held strong. Behind them were the three Gryffindors and Luna. Leanne had had to stay in the infirmary after tirelessly repeating the story to the authorities, having been given a Dreamless Sleep for her ordeal. Katie had been put on stasis and flooed to St. Mungo's by then. With Harry's quick legs and seeming endless stamina, he'd quickly gotten her the medical attention she needed.

"Indeed, it's cursed," The potions master murmured silkily, wand twitching just a fraction to rotate the object. "It brings death upon any who wear it. Ms. Bell should be lucky she touched it through her gloves."

"That means –"

"Her injuries are on the _pleasant_ side of the spectrum." Severus summed up. "Be thankful it only burned a hole through her glove and not her hand." Staring at the woman whom had suddenly aged by decades, Severus placed the necklace into the box before leaving. His eyes ran over the students' forms – too quick for anyone other than Harry, to catch, but nonetheless, the Gryffindor saw and returned a curt nod – and Severus left the classroom.

"I hoped that this year would be a quiet one," Professor McGonagall smiled sadly. "Has this become a yearly thing for you two? Lord Potter? Ms. Granger?"

"Honestly Professor," Harry grimaced, "I thought I would have a carefree life after Voldemort's fall."

…

A week passed by before the Gryffindors were notified that, due to her injury, Katie would remain in St. Mungo's until further notice. It tore their morale down, but it didn't stop the lions from sending get-well-soon cards and gifts fir the seventh year.

The first of March saw Harry drifting from Hermione and Susan's side as the scent of grass and trees floated near him. Then he smelt the sharp, tangy metallic smell of blood.

"Where are you going, Harry?" Hermione asked. Susan stood up from their table and walked over to the Gryffindor. He had stood up and was practically sniffing the air. He'd been quite distracted since Katie's spell, but not like this.

It was a good thing they were in a semi-private location. Even though his elven features had drawn attention from the students when he had returned to Hogwarts, his friends had kept curious students away from him. Plus, with the addition of Skeeter's article about his magical and creature inheritance that week after his return, the Potter and Black solicitors had worked together to fire the blond reporter.

When threatened, she didn't seem to be scared to pay the fee. However, when they had mentioned her secret of keeping her animagus form to herself rather than registering herself with the Ministry and the punishment of living in Azkaban for a good year or two, she quickly sent out an apology on the _Daily Prophet's_ evening edition. Yet, the deed was done, but people were more focused on his wealth that his creature inheritance.

Seems as if they didn't know what elves had in store considering they were a very private race.

"My mate." Harry growled, his voice gone deep. Husky; clipped. "Hurt. Blood."

He quickly darted from the library, earning a scowl from Madam Pince. Hermione and Susan quickly gathered their things, as well as Harry's, and rushed through their apologies for the librarian before tracking down their fiancé slash boyfriend.

They only knew where to find Harry when there was a paved path of students staring at the Gryffindor's retreating form. Excusing themselves, they rushed towards the stairs and found that, rather than running up the stairs, Harry had decided to jump from staircase to staircase, and surprisingly, the stairs held themselves in place so he could stick his landing. Harry finally landed on the fourth floor staircase before darting out into the corridor.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted. The weight was holding them down and Hermione quickly looked around. "Neville!" She shouted, running over to the Gryffindor. Neville and Luna turned to see the brunette fly towards them before shoving her bags at them. "Please take them to the Common Room for us. Harry needs our help."

Susan excused herself as well, thanking Luna when the Ravenclaw offered up her services, before running after Hermione. With no weight on them, they maneuvered their way up the stairs, huffing and puffing. They finally arrived on the fourth floor and with Hermione's quick thinking, used "Point me Harry Potter," and followed her wand as it directed her to where her fiancé was.

"Come on! We're getting close," Hermione stated, turning another corner with Susan right beside her.

As they drew closer and closer to Harry's position, they heard loud roaring and screams. Turning the last corner, they ducked when a body flew over their heads and landed a few feet away from them.

"Is that…?"

Pinned against the wall with Harry's hand was Ron Weasley. Leaning against the wall a few feet away from the duo was Daphne Greengrass. She was sitting there looking up at Harry with wide eyes, hands holding her robes closed. Hermione and Susan ran up to her and called her name, believing that if they were to touch her, she would start screaming.

"Daphne, are you all right?" Hermione asked.

"I-I'm fine." She replied, getting up with the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff's help. She leaned up against the wall, feeling relieved that someone had come to rescue her.

"D-Did they…" Susan began.

Daphne scoffed and shook her head. "They didn't. They tried, but I would've beaten them if they hadn't used physical strength over magic." Her icy blue eyes strayed back to Harry, who was growling quite near Weasley's face.

"What happened?"

"Crabbe, Goyle and Weasley tried to accost me on my way to lunch." Daphne said. "Seeing as how Weasley was put on a restraining order and Crabbe and Goyle weren't fans of Ha- _Potter's_ because he sent their parents to Azkaban after defeating the Dark Lord," she quickly corrected. "Their anger grew, but only increased when Draco, Blaise and Theo started to befriend the two of you. Thinking that they were traitors, they started to separate from the trio. But… the two of them were planning on taking revenge and knew that they were not as magically powerful as the three of them."

"And then?"

"I guess Weasley overheard their plans and knew about Ha- _Potter_ trying to find a wife… why they came after me I'm not so sure…." Daphne trailed off, her icy blue eyes finding Harry's form once more.

Hermione looked at Susan, "Harry's been talking to us about finding another mate… he's had… several options, but we've noticed his eyes kept looking at you and a few others."

"I'm guessing Weasley saw this," Susan supplied. "He's gotten quite… quiet these last couple of months. I'm assuming he's using this time to observe Harry. He knows he can't get to Hermione and I, but if there was a potential candidate to become Harry's love interest and future wife, he was going to take it and ruin it for him."

Hermione turned to look around at their surroundings. "I'm guessing the one that flew down the corridor…"

"That was Crabbe," Daphne said, brushing her robes off from the dirt and dust. "The three of them stopped when they heard a loud roar and then the three of them tried to fight Harry. Ron was quickly knocked down first; then it was Goyle and Crabbe. Goyle flew against the columns over there," Daphne pointed out a few feet away from the three girls. "Then Crabbe went flying down the corridor and when Weasley was trying to get to his feet, Harry got him pinned to the wall."

"Strong, isn't he?" Susan giggled, as all three pairs of eyes eyed Harry's form. Though Harry had gotten as tall as the Weasley, his strength was immeasurable. He still had Weasley pinned to the wall at least a good feet or two above the floor. The redhead was scrabbling for purchase on Harry's hand to keep from suffocating, but nothing seemed to deter Harry's anger towards the boy.

Then, a rush of running feet echoed throughout the corridor before they saw Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall at the forefront of a crowd of students.

"Mr. Potter! What are you doing?!" Professor McGonagall cried, aghast at the two unconscious Slytherins and the slowly suffocating Gryffindor. Only when the Prefects and Head Boy and Head Girl moved up to the front to stop the students from closing the distance did the Potions Master and Transfiguration Mistress attempt to walk forward. A sharp roar from Harry had them pausing in their steps as Harry turned his attention back to Ron.

"What happened here Ms. Granger? Ms. Bones? Ms. Greengrass?"

Together, the three girls explained the situation until the professors had a good idea of the problem.

Taking a minute step forward, Harry's growl echoed through the corridor when he turned his head towards them. Another step had Harry's eyes gleaming in the dimly lit halls before his glamour fell and his elvish features came into existence.

"Oh my," Professor McGonagall said, placing her right hand above her heart. "Mr. Potter really is –"

"Yes, Minerva," Professor Snape said. "Harry is an elf. The article that Skeeter wrote at the beginning of the year was true."

The Transfiguration Mistress turned her head at Severus's admission, more surprised that Severus had used Harry's given name rather than at the revelation.

The students murmured with awe at Harry's elven appearance. It wasn't as if they hadn't seen Harry's bodily structure, but the Gryffindor had glamoured the length of his hair, the brightness of his eyes, the tips of his ears and any ethereal features that his inheritance had provided for him.

"Harry," Severus snapped once the Gryffindor had growled again as the professors tried to move closer to them. "If you don't cease that infuriating growling, how are we to see to your _mate_?"

At once, Harry dropped Ron on his arse before green eyes darted to Daphne's form. He rushed over to his mate's side, crooning as he inspected her. Daphne smiled softly, seeing Harry sniff at her sleeve. Pulling up her ripped sleeve, Daphne allowed Harry to lap up the blood on her arm, received after she had taken a tumble from being pushed to the ground by the two burly Slytherins.

Cooing once more when the blood was gone and the wound healed, Harry gathered Daphne in his arms and sat down on the ground, pulling the Slytherin girl into his lap. His cautious eyes watched the two adult witch and wizard's forms as they took slow and careful steps towards him.

When they moved too quickly for his taste, he growled in warning, magic flaring dangerously about – vibrant enough to allow the audience to see the green, gold and silver strands whipping about in the air. Yet, once all three of his mates' soothing calmed him down until his growl turned to a rumbling, the colorful strands turned peaceful and danced about with curiosity, circling around the two adults as if gauging their intentions. It seemed as if hours had passed until finally, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape got to the four of them, checking over Daphne before checking over the three students.

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle, after we have the three of you checked up at the infirmary, you will come with me to my office and I will dole our your punishments when Professor Snape has arrived. Do you understand me?"

Silent glares were her only answer before she repeated her question with a harsher tone.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Severus – "

"I'll take them to the infirmary."

Turning on her heel, the Deputy Headmistress walked the three boys up to the infirmary before ordering the rest of the students to return to their meal. Severus had to wait until Harry calmed down before he could move Daphne to the infirmary. Only after Harry had sniffed the air a few more times did he approve of his mates' attackers' distance between their two groups.

"A-Are you all right, Daphne?" He croaked, throat a little hoarse from the roaring and growling.

"I'm fine. You've healed me, see?"

The sixth year Slytherin pulled up her sleeve to show that her wound was healed by Harry's saliva. "Do elves have a healing affinity through the use of bodily liquids?" She asked.

Harry flushed and nodded his head jerkily before the quartet followed after Severus's lead. At the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey gave Daphne a once over before declaring her right as rain. She had a few bruises here and there, but nothing dangerous.

"Boys these days," She muttered. "Always have to go looking for trouble. Just a good night's rest will do the trick, Ms. Greengrass. You should be better by tomorrow."

"Should be?" Harry asked, his eyes glinting dangerously. He could feel his chest rumbling at the admission.

"Harry!" Hermione scolded, hitting her fiancé upside the head. The growling stopped, but the suspicious gaze did not.

"She fell rather hard onto the ground, Mr. Potter." Madam Pomfrey explained. "There is a slight swelling at the back of her head and there are bruises on her back and forearms when she landed. Other than that, there are no grievous injuries to her person. That is why I say she should be fine by tomorrow."

"Right… sorry about that Madam Pomfrey."

"Not a problem, Mr. Potter. I should take care to speak about an elf's mate. Then again, I see that her cut has been healed. Saliva, Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good to know. Now off you four go. I'm sure there's still some time left for lunch."

"I recommend my office for the rest of the lunch hour," Severus said. "If you please?"

"Of course, Professor Snape." Daphne said and the four of them followed their potions professor to his office and settled down for a short lunch.

…..

"Why have you invited us, Severus?"

The girls balked at Harry's use of their potions professor's given name before realizing that they were close enough to each other to do so. He ignored their surprise, choosing to accept the warm blanket that was handed to him by the potions professor, thank him, and drape it over Daphne's shoulder, making sure to secure it around the girl.

"I thought you might like to eat in private rather than with the student population staring at you." The corner of Severus's mouth lifted in a small ghost of a smile before it disappeared.

Harry smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Not at all." Severus had their lunches brought in with the help of the school's house elves before dismissing them.

Harry continued to fuss over the blond Slytherin. "How do you feel?" He murmured softly.

Daphne gripped the blanket with white fists, finally feeling the tremors and shaking that came from experiencing a near r-r-ra... She couldn't even say it. "I-I'm –"

"Don't say you feel fine. This is nothing to brush off." Harry warned, his green eyes glowing brightly. The lit dimmed and he resumed pampering her before placing the plate of food before her.

"Then don't ask me how I feel!" She hissed dangerously, tears gathering in her eyes. Daphne turned away, stabbing at her lunch with manners unlike a lady of her upbringing, before she began to dine. She blinked her eyes rapidly, feeling the tears dry up quickly.

"Ms. Greengrass, about this situation…"

Daphne paused in her bite before swallowing and dabbing her mouth clean. "I find that I am rather all right with this situation. No, let me finish Potter." She said, holding her hand up for silence and adjusting the blanket before Harry did when it fell off her shoulder. "Yes, it was an attempt at r-r…" Daphne frowned, closed her eyes and breathed out. "-rape. Yes, my clothes are ripped and I have been physically violated in some way, yet I have not been tainted. I was saved in the nick of time. However, I did not think that my first real encounter with Mr. Potter would result in such a disaster."

Harry squirmed in his seat, "The cat's out of the bag now. My elven instincts do not allow for me to cast my glamour… still on high alert."

"Suffice to say, it might take time for your elven side to calm down. After such a predicament, I don't think Harry's elven side would allow for the glamour to be used anymore. He would probably subconsciously defend his mates from any attackers like today." Hermione said. She made a sound of appreciation when her vegetables had been steamed until it had a perfect texture. "Baring his form would make him more comfortable, knowing that everyone would see his form as threatening."

"How exactly was it that you found me?" Daphne inquired, her icy blue eyes staring straight at Harry.

"I smelt your scent coupled with the smell of blood. Then, I just went kind of haywire and out of control. My mate was attacked, hurt and injured so I just kind of went on a rampage to find you and put down your attackers."

"Kind of went on a rampage?" Daphne giggled. "Still, I thank you for saving me. Though, I'm unsure of why I am your mate?"

"There are particulars to finding my mate. For Hermione, it was for her intelligence and beauty. For Susan, it was for her loyalty and honorability. For you, it was for your…" here Harry looked down at his hands awkwardly, "… for your confidence and authenticity."

Daphne frowned, putting her fork down, "confidence and authenticity?"

Harry scratched the back of his neck with embarrassment. He absentmindedly adjusted Daphne's blanket once more before answering. "Well… confidence because you are confident in everything that you do. You don't need anyone telling you what you should and should not do. Your accomplishments rival Hermione's, but you aren't smug about them. Not that I'm saying that you brag about your intelligence, Hermione!" Harry said, quickly backtracking when Hermione's eyes rose.

"I just mean that she shows her ability and skills through her work and that's what I like about it. She knows what she's capable of doing, and doesn't let any obstacles prevent her from any progress. Daphne knows how smart she is, and she doesn't need to show it. About that authenticity trait, you put up an Ice Queen front, only because your family isn't Dark, but neutral with an affinity to Dark magic. You keep your true friends close and care about them. You state what you want and give only to those who are deserving of you. Something like that I really approve of in a mate. So…" Harry trailed off with flushed cheeks and a crooked smile.

Daphne was surprised, but her stoic expression showed none of it. "How do you feel about the tension and rivalry between the Slytherin and Gryffindor house? You used to be all for hating Slytherin."

"Most of that is because Ron hated Slytherins!" Hermione interjected, but Harry held up a hand for her silence.

"What you say is half true and what Hermione says is the truth. I don't dislike Slytherin, I just don't like particular students. When I first realized that I was a wizard, Hagrid was the one who came to retrieve me. He was my first friend and he was an advocate of all things Gryffindor. He didn't trust Slytherins and once he told me about Voldemort, it didn't give me a reason to like Slytherin. Then came Draco, and when he bullied my first friend, I didn't like him either. My attribution to disliking Slytherin came from disliking Draco and his bullying attitude. However, to appease everyone who kept telling me that my parents were both sorted into Gryffindor, I told the Sorting Hat that I wouldn't go into Slytherin no matter how many times it believed that I would thrive there. So Gryffindor was my next best choice."

Daphne took a bite of her chicken before speaking, politely covering her mouth with one hand. "If you were in Slytherin, I think the school would have been less hostile to us."

Harry shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not. We can never know for sure, and we definitely cannot sit on things that have already passed. Now that Voldemort is gone and his followers are being rounded up, I'm sure that we can make Hogwarts more willing to associate with Slytherins. In fact, the only reason why there are Death Eaters was because all the other houses have labeled Slytherins as evil and dark. Without giving Slytherins a chance, and judging them by past experiences, there was no way that the Slytherin house could change their image."

Severus, Hermione and Susan sat back, listening to the conversation. They would let this play out before them. After all, Daphne was Harry's acknowledged mate. It wouldn't do to speak about this arrangement.

"What is going to happen then?" Daphne inquired.

Harry looked at her with sharp green eyes. "As you know, I am an elf, but I am classified as a High Elf. However, according to the Ministry's laws, I must take wives according to the number of titles I have inherited. For now, Hermione and Susan are two of my seven wives. It's a weird thing for me to have, considering I don't have enough information regarding elf mateships and the like, but it seems like my elven side wishes to have the same number of wives as well. So, for now, if you accept, would you allow for me to begin courting you and further down the road, accept to being my betrothed?"

Daphne sat in silence, thinking over Harry's words.

While everyone seemed to polish off their meal, Harry was the only one who wasn't finished eating. Not that he wasn't hungry, but because he was anxious about Daphne's answer.

He had read in the tome about Elves that they always had mates, magical ones. Though, there was a tidbit about forming connections with them, there wasn't really much written about what would happen should one's mate reject the elf. Usually it wasn't done, just because when elves found their mate, it was within the Elven Society. However, Harry was searching for mates _outside_ of the Elven society. Moreover, the idea that some purebloods thought that magical creatures were beneath their station really made Harry nervous that Daphne could have grown up amongst a family with a belief like that. The notes had said that there would be pain, but because it wasn't exactly a soul mate sort of relationship – you could only have one after all – there wouldn't be any life threatening pains occurring. Yet, you wouldn't feel as whole as you would've feel if you did have your mate with you.

"Very well. I accept your courting." Daphne finally replied.

The blooming smile took her by surprise, but it filled her with warmth and contentment.

"Thank you for accepting, Heiress Greengrass. I'll be sure to send your father a letter regarding this relationship." Harry promised. With that, Harry finished off his meal with a cheery smile and the four of them split up for their classes.

…..

A flash of green light illuminated the office as Severus's head appeared in flames of the fireplace.

"Jeremiah, might I come through?"

"Of course, Severus." The tone that came from their Slytherin resident potions master alerted Jeremiah of an unwanted situation within Hogwarts' hallowed halls.

Opening the wards of his manor, said wizard waited just a few seconds for the Head of Slytherin to walk through the flames. "Whatever is the matter? Did something happen to Daphne? Astoria?"

"It is my duty to inform you that, as per _parentis locus_ , your daughter Daphne Greengrass, has been assaulted by three students, sixth year Ronald Weasley from House Gryffindor and sixth years Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe from House Slytherin."

Jeremiah slowly stood from his seat, his large and muscly form practically dwarfing that of Severus's willowy build. Now, he was no longer the amiable and lighthearted Lord Greengrass that those close to him had had the fortune of knowing, but the stringent and unrelenting Lord Greengrass of whom Severus had had the opportunity to see during several political and familial occasions.

"Daphne has been _assaulted_?" He asked, in a slow and crisp tone. "My _daughter_?"

Holding his ground, Severus confirmed, "Yes, Jeremiah. However, Harry had come across the scene and swiftly dispatched her assailants. The three have been seen to by Poppy and have retreated to the Headmaster's Office under Minerva's jurisdiction. I thought that as the victim's father, you should be have the honor of how the boys should be punished."

"Harry? Harry Potter? The Lord Potter-Black?"

"Yes, the one and the same." Severus confirmed.

A knock came at the door and the two men turned to see a woman walk in.

"Oh! I wasn't expecting you here, Severus. If I knew, then I would have made an extra cup of tea."

Lady Freya Greengrass was the mother of both daughters, Daphne and Astoria. Though she was not the one that Daphne had imitated her Ice Queen persona by, their youngest daughter had taken their mother's personality as a base.

"Is everything all right?" Freya asked. She placed the tray onto the table. "Did something happen to Daphne? Astoria?"

"Daphne has been assaulted," Jeremiah told his wife, barely withholding his anger. "Severus here has just told me about this situation."

"Is she all right?" Freya gasped.

"She has been seen to by Poppy. There are no lasting injuries except for a few bruises, but Harry Potter healed her cut. I'm certain that news of his creature inheritance has reached your ears?"

"I thought that news was a bit of hogwash," Freya stated. "You know how Skeeter is. All her articles are fabrications with rumors as a foundation. Nothing but lies and subterfuge."

Severus sighed, "It is not my secret to say, but there will be news soon about this."

"About what?"

"Harry has gone through both a magical and creature inheritance. Black, Lupin and I are witnesses to this event."

"So… you're saying…"

"If it weren't for Harry's elven side having already chosen Ms. Greengrass as his mate, he probably would not have defended her as such."

Freya's eyes narrowed, "Are you saying that if it were not for Daphne being Lord Potter-Black's mate, he would not have saved her?"

Realizing how his words were taken as such, Severus denied it. "I meant that how Harry had defended your daughter was taken to such an extreme. He saw that his mate was in danger and injured, so for retribution, he had knocked Crabbe and Goyle unconscious before attempting to strangle the life out of Weasley."

Slightly appeased by his explanation, Freya made to move to the fireplace.

"Where are you going, darling?"

With ice blue eyes, Freya looked at her husband and their companion with a biting and steely gaze. "You did not think that I wouldn't attend my daughter's attacker's punishment did you?"

Quickly, the two men followed after Lady Greengrass as she disappeared into green flames.

…..

"Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle, Mr. Weasley, as your actions have –"

The door to the Headmaster's office slammed open revealing the arrival of Lord and Lady Greengrass, as well as Severus Snape. All four occupants turned to see who had barged in on their little meeting. Ron quickly turned around once he saw Severus there. At least he was smart enough to realize that the couple entering the room was their victim's parents.

"Severus! What is the meaning of this interruption?!"

"I beg to differ, Deputy Headmistress McGonagall." Freya interjected. "It is not an interruption, but an amendment to your duties. As Headmaster or Deputy Headmistress in your case, it is within your obligation to notify the victim's parents of anything that has happened to the student within school grounds. Why is it, that my daughter's Head of House had to be the first to notify me?"

"I was going to notify you after exacting the appropriate punishment on these three boys." McGonagall said. The frown was evident on her face.

"There is no lesser punishment than having these three boys sent to trial after attempting to sexually harass my daughter." Freya spoke up in a chilly tone. "I have heard of the situation from my husband and Professor Snape. To attack an heir or heiress of a Noble and Most Ancient House is one thing, but to attempt _rape_ is an entirely different sort of vulgarity. Detentions and loss of points are not permissible."

"Surely trials are going to an extreme!" Minerva protested.

Severus frowned, "Acting like Dumbledore?"

The sharp dig took the breath out of the Deputy Headmistress, and they all watched her lean back against the backrest, jaw slightly agape with shock.

Freya pushed on with an icy tone. "I assure you, if they were any younger, it would have been. Yet, one of the three you have standing before you have already been tried for line theft on Lord Potter-Black's person and a malicious attempt for the Longbottom scion's life. Yet he still has the audacity to try something as stupid and foolish as enlisting the help of two other students in a bid to attack my daughter?"

Ron scowled, tightening his fists until they were stark white.

"They are still minors!" Minerva said. "Only until they reach seventeen are they considered adults."

"For a situation like this," Freya said, ice glinting dangerously, "I will have them tried as adults. Not even the compensation from the trial will be sufficient enough to make up for my daughter's psychological shock."

"Minerva, they are old enough to think for themselves. Should they choose to take action, they must face their consequences." Severus said, his onyx black eyes drilling into the Deputy Headmistress.

Minerva sighed. It seems as if her hands were tied. She looked at the three boys, yet they did not seem repentant of their actions. "Very well. I shall send for Amelia at once."

"See to it that they stay in the Ministry's holding cells until the trial begins. My solicitors will deal with everything else." Freya swept out of the room with Jeremiah on her heels, leaving Severus to see to Minerva and the boys.

Freya strode quickly through the corridors with Jeremiah by her side. The duo presented such a startling and frightening display that students moved out of their way.

…..

"Daphne, your parents are outside." Draco said.

"Thank you Draco." The blond witch pushed open the portrait and saw her parents there. "Father, mother. How nice to see you."

"Daphne," They greeted with firmly held expressions. Their heads turned when their youngest daughter walked up to them and greeted them similarly.

Looking at the both of them, Daphne inclined her head, "Shall we move this to my dormitories? None of the girls are present at this time."

The trio moved through the Common Rooms up towards the Girls' Dormitories, leaving Astoria to return to her friends. None of the Slytherins spoke about the scene in public, yet once the trio disappeared, they easily slipped into conversation that subtly hinted at the situation.

"What do you think happened?" Blaise asked Draco.

Draco sniffed, "It is not up to us to gossip about what has or hasn't happened. No one should speak of this anymore."

Pansy, however, was not as smart and started running her mouth about what had occurred. Of course, it wasn't difficult when the students started to trail after two prominent women in Harry's little harem. With the addition of the revealing of Harry's status as a High Elf, _and_ the fact that a group of students had seen to Deputy Headmistress's detaining of three students – two of which were Slytherins and the last, Harry's _ex_ -best friend, the rumors had spread and practically everyone knew. Though they didn't know the details, the stories had quickly spiraled out of control – at least the thing they got right was the fact that something had happened to Daphne and Harry had gone rampant to defend her.

"Shut up, Parkinson." Astoria hissed. Her golden blond hair trailed down to her waist as she flicked it over her shoulder with a hand. "If you know what's good for you, you will shut your mouth. Merlin knows you'd be lucky to be betrothed before you even graduate from Hogwarts."

Pansy harrumphed and stuck her nose in the air with a pompous confidence that she usually swam in. " _My_ future is already set. I'll have you know that Lady _Malfoy_ has hinted at a future alliance between the Malfoy and Parkinson family. And where will _you_ be headed in a few years?"

Draco internally gagged at this revelation but kept his stoic façade. Standing up, he walked towards the stairs that would lead to the Boy's Dormitories with Blaise striding along beside him. Stopping at the foot of the staircase, Draco kept his face forward as he spoke up.

"No matter what my mother may suggest, my father is the one that holds the power in the Malfoy family. Therefore, I hope you get it into your head that – considering my father is actually intelligent – there will only be a tentative alliance between our two families. No betrothal was spoken of and no wedding will be planned for."

The conversations were immediately ended with a smug Astoria, inwardly hysterically laughing Slytherins that were in the Common Room at that moment and a widely gapping mouthed Pansy Parkinson who couldn't believe her ears.

…..

"Father, mother. Please take a seat." Daphne said, acting like a gracious host, even in the midst of donning school robes and hosting a small meeting with her parents in her dorm room.

Once the tea was served, the house elf popped away to leave them to their discussion. Immediately, they dropped all pretenses and the two parents had their eldest daughter within their arms, worriedly patting her all over to make sure there were no sustaining injuries.

"I'm all right mum!" Daphne repeated.

"Nonsense! Severus was practically hysterical when he flooed us!" Jeremiah stated, prompting a perfectly raised eyebrow in his direction.

"Professor Snape? Hysterical? Dad! You're overreacting."

"I cannot lose a daughter!" Jeremiah nearly shouted. "And I certainly will not allow for this to happen again! It was a close call that you had, Daph. What would have happened if Lord Potter-Black was not there to save you?"

Jeremiah and Freya had matching expressions when they saw their eldest daughter flushing lightly at his reprimand.

"But that's just it!" Daphne said. "Ha- I mean, Lord Potter-Black _did_ save me! So I'm okay." She inwardly cursed herself for that near slip, knowing her parents would have caught it.

And they surely did. "Harry?" Freya asked, her smile now filled with warmth.

"Yes." Daphne admitted, though she dared not fidget in front of her parents. "I figured with him saving me, being on a first name basis was quite within these circumstances. Additionally, I have been in many classes with his best muggleborn friend, now fiancée – Hermione Granger – and his new girlfriend, Susan Bones. Hermione talks about his a lot whenever she doesn't have her head in her books. I've also noticed that Susan has taken many appreciative glances towards Harry when we were younger. And really – he was quite scrawny back then. I wouldn't even look his way, considering he was Dumbledore's _Golden Boy_. But after his trials during the Triwizard Tournament, I can see that that's really changed him. In addition – "

Daphne paused with wide eyes, then inwardly cursed herself once more when she realized she had been going on and on about _Harry_. . . _Especially_ when she had pointedly tried to change the topic!

"Well, for one. We are thankful for Lord Potter-Black's help."

Daphne rolled her pretty blue eyes, "I'm sure you are father. Like the rest of us were."

"Can you tell us what happened?" Freya asked, running her hand through Daphne's raven locks.

Daphne quickly dove right in and within half an hour, her parents had gotten the full gist of the situation. Jeremiah also demanded a pensieve with her memory – just so they could launch a full case on the three boys.

"I should think – that we now owe Lord Potter-Black a life debt." Jeremiah surmised, rubbing at his chin in a thoughtful manner.

Daphne flushed and nibbled on her bottom lip, ceasing the action when her mother lightly chided her for attempting to ruin its texture. "I. . . I don't think that that would be a problem anymore. . ."

The Greengrass's exchanged looks with each other before turning to their daughter. "Whatever do you mean, dear?"

…..

After an hour and a half later, the Greengrass's left the Girls' Dormitories and made to exit the Slytherin House. Emotionlessly, Jeremiah and Freya gave their fair wells to both daughters and left, with a vial of Daphne's memory on hand, to the Greengrass solicitors to start on their case.

Those boys wouldn't know what hit them!

…..

A/N: Okay. No lie. I am not fond of this chapter. The two parts really clashed with each other and I feel like it would collapse because it's so weak! But I really wanted to draw out the third mate before the end of the year! Please stay tuned for the next chapter! (:


	12. The Guardians

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

Chapter 12

~ The Guardians ~

"My dear, it seems that what Severus has told us is true. Lord Potter-Black has asked for to court our daughter. And Daphne has confirmed it." Lord Jeremiah Greengrass informed his wife.

"What has he written us?" Lady Freya Greengrass inquired.

"It is the usual formal negotiation." Jeremiah said. "It seems that he will be pursuing our daughter with the end result being an engagement between the two parties. The terms are all laid out with the prior Lord Sirius Black as his witness to the contract. They have sent it to us so we can sign it ourselves as well as having a significant individual bear witness to our signing. There are no consequences should the courting duration end early or should Daphne decline being betrothed. He has also asked for our presence during the Easter holidays. There is something he wishes for us to know."

"Very well; we shall agree to meeting with Lord Potter-Black." Freya reached for it and read over the conditions and smiled, "Everything is to the benefit of our daughter, yet it also protects Lord Potter-Black. Very well. Shall we sign?"

The two did so and made a copy of the scroll before sending the original back to the Gryffindor.

…..

When a Ministry owl arrived, one each, for the victim, savior and the witnesses to the near-rape scene, Harry scowled. His magic had erupted from him in the form of a heavy and oppressing aura. The trial for Ron Weasley, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe had been pushed back to their Easter holidays, for fear of "distracting the three gentlemen from their studies." Harry had to scoff at that; none of them really studied – all they did was eat and sleep.

The students struggled to breathe and only when Hermione gripped his sleeve in a near death grip, did Harry realize what his anger entailed. With a deep breathe, the Great Hall occupants could practically imagine the sounds of a vacuum sucking in all the magic before bottling it up inside the Gryffindor.

No matter. When the trial was over, they'd all be punished. Harry purred at the thought of keeping his mates safe from any potential danger. If their punishment wasn't well thought out, he'd serve them the correct one.

…..

Harry was walking around the school when he heard some sniffling. Turning his head this way and that, he followed the noise until he arrived at a broom closet. With a pulse of his sensor, the elf felt the spells placed upon the door. Yet, it was a bit strange that he could hear past the silence charm that was spelled on the door.

Tapping the wards with a finger, he felt them fall apart until there was none left.

Opening the door, he spied the familiar platinum blond hair of the fifth year Ravenclaw that Harry had realized, he hadn't been seeing for awhile.

"Luna, are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine. I had just left Neville to his classes and I was thinking about heading to the library for my free period, but then someone pushed me from behind." The girl looked up with tears in her eyes, but her face had a small smile on it. "My shoes are missing though. I figured I'd wait in here until the Nargles decide to return them. It's all right though; I usually find them near the end of the year."

"Oh my little moonbeam," Harry frowned, pulling the girl up on her feet. His eyes drifted onto the floor in search of something. "The Nargles took your wand too?"

"Oh yes. They're quite mischievous when they wish." Luna answered wistfully, as the Gryffindor spelled her clothes clean. The Ravenclaw patted her clothes down. "It's all right though. They're just trying for attention. However, I don't think they realize they're going for the negative kind."

Harry frowned. The bullying was happening again and yet again, he had not stopped it in time! He was furious and his elven blood pulsed in his veins, the creature out to get blood.

"Do you know where the Nargles are?"

"They're probably floating around in the classrooms right about now. But don't worry, Harry. They're just influencing the older Ravenclaws to do their bidding. After all, they be a bit persuasive when it comes to dealing with the girls who've fallen for you."

"The same girls as last year?"

"Oh yes. The Nargles are quite vicious and persistent."

Harry growled and eyed the bruises littered over Luna's skin. It seems that his elven inheritance allowed for him to see through glamours and the like – something quite useful when dealing with strangers – but it was more important when seeing the things that Luna was fruitlessly trying to hide.

Her skin was had spots in black and blue, and some were a bit yellowish on the side – possibly bruises that had occurred just about a week ago. It was so frequent that there was barely a spot that Harry could find without a patch of skin that was roughed up. Harry sighed. What was he doing? He had left his friends in pursuit of his mates and now, look what happened! Luna was hurt!

"Come on, little moonbeam. Let's head to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey will fix you right up."

The elf picked up the ransacked bag that was lying on the floor beside Luna and held the young Ravenclaw's hand as they walked towards the infirmary. Just then, the bell rang and the students poured out.

On the way there, Harry saw the Ravenclaws that Luna were referring to and he snarled at Cho and her gang of friends. The same damned annoyances that had made Hermione cry when they returned to school. With his eyes promising threats, he smirked and turned away, relishing in the fear that oozed from their bodies.

At the infirmary, Luna was whisked away to the bed that both Madam Pomfrey and Harry had insisted was saved just for him. "The mattress is a bit comfier than the others. Plus the covers are a lot warmer." Harry argued, even after the mediwitch had walked away, rolling her eyes at the Gryffindor's claims.

"You don't have to stay here Harry. I'm sure Hermione and Susan are looking for you. Don't you have a study session to attend?"

"Those are not as important as making sure you're safe and okay." Harry declared. His green eyes roamed the Ravenclaw's body, barely noticing the blush Luna sported.

"Harry. . . could you – could you turn away? I'm not decent." Luna whispered embarrassingly.

"Wha – Oh." The elf's mind finally supplied his sight with what was _actually_ there. More than the bruises itself, the school uniform that Luna was wearing was a bit ripped up in certain places, holes in others and tears on the rest of the fabric. Buttons were falling off and her blue and bronze tie was missing from around her neck. The Ravenclaw must have been scratched up and pushed around before being shoved into the broom closet for who knows how long she had been there.

"Sorry," He swiftly turned his head, feeling his cheeks warm. "H-How about I go look for an extra robe for you?"

"Y-Yes. . . please and thank you."

Harry nodded his head curtly and left the infirmary, bumping into Susan, Daphne and Hermione when the trio had come looking for him. They had followed the news of the gossip and rumors surrounding the Boy-Who-Lived, whom had marched through the throngs of the students, leading a young Ravenclaw to the infirmary.

"What happened?"

"Luna was bullied," Harry spat, his green eyes ablaze with fury. "I'm going to get her a spare uniform."

"And then?" Daphne asked, her face as cool as her expression was.

"And then, I'm going to gut those wretches who dare harm my Luna." Harry snarled, stomping off to Ravenclaw Tower with his three mates in tow.

"How are you going to get in? You need a Ravenclaw to enter the Common Room."

"Hah," Harry sniffed. "All you need is to answer the riddle. And if the portrait still refuses to allow me entrance, I'm going to invoke my right as both Lord Gryffindor and Lord Slytherin. As half the owner to Hogwarts, I should be able to enter without any problems."

The warpath Harry dug out left students back up against the wall in an attempt to hide themselves away from the Gryffindor's ire. They all had known how volatile Harry's anger was when it came to protecting his friends, and to find that the path was leading the Twice-Defeater-of-Voldemort to the Ravenclaw Tower – well, someone must have done something horrible to that Lovegood girl that was always around the Gryffindor.

Standing before a door, Harry used the bronze knocker in the shape of an eagle and awaited the riddle.

" _How many seconds are there in a year?_ " The eagle asked.

"12 of them: The 2nd of every month." Harry answered immediately.

"You may enter." The door opened and the Gryffindor stomped in.

"Where is Luna Lovegood's dormitory?" Harry barked out, green eyes scanning the fearful expressions on the Ravenclaws' faces.

"What are you doing here, Harry?" Goldstein asked. He was surprised to see the arrival of their old DA leader. Then again, now was a perfect time to ask about the revival of the DA. Perhaps he would be willing to restart it?

"I need an extra uniform for Luna. I _found_ her crying in a broom closet devoid of all her possessions bar a ripped up uniform. I _thought_ prefects were supposed to keep an eye on any bullying within their houses."

Padma Patil walked up, "Goldstein and I didn't see any bullying happening. And if it did, it would have occurred away from our eyes. I apologize that you found Luna in such a state, but I can assure you that we'll keep a sharper eye out."

"See that you do," Harry growled, his voice deepening a few octaves. He waited for Padma to run to the Girls' Dormitories to retrieve Luna's things and in the mean time, Goldstein walked up to him.

"Will you be restarting the DA this year?" The Ravenclaw prefect asked.

"I'm not sure. I didn't really plan on it from the start. It was only a way to get back at Umbridge. But knowing that those who have been members of the DA had received O's for their DADA O.W.L.s, perhaps I'll start it up for our seventh year DA N.E.W.T.s." Harry replied, addressing the issue.

"You can also incorporate other subjects into the curriculum," Hermione added. "It would help very much if we had a repertoire of spells if, in any case, we end up needing them."

"If we do potions though, we might need a professor to overlook our class. Potions _aren't_ just for brewing and healing you know. You can use potions in battle as well." Daphne said, her entry into the conversation invoking several startled looks once the Ravenclaws realized that a Slytherin was in their Common Room.

"We can just invite all the professors to teach us a few things. We can use extra tutoring lessons as a pretense for their inclusion in the club. After all, not everyone goes to the professors for help. This would be a great way to facilitate and grow the student-teacher relationship within Hogwarts." Susan interjected, bringing some of the attention away from Daphne and centering it around her.

Harry hummed, ideas already forming. "If you really wish to restart the DA – I think the latest would be after the Easter holiday. We can have a few sessions before our end-of-year exams and then continue on until next year for those who have yet to graduate."

"So when will the sign-up start?" Padma asked, coming down the spiral staircase. Slung over her shoulder was a shrunken suitcase – Luna's suitcase – and after handing it over, the Ravenclaw prefect explained that she had charmed it when an undetectable expansion charm as well as a featherlight charm.

"Look, I'm not sure I'm going to be the one leading the club this year. After all – I've previously said that we only started it to get back at Umbridge." Harry announced, already seeing the interest sparking in the Ravenclaws' eyes. "If you really wish for the DA club to restart, you should ask the Professor McGonagall, as she is the Deputy Headmistress until the Headmaster has been decided. But I have more important things to tend to."

"Then we'll do that," Goldstein announced, and by the time Harry, Hermione, Susan and Daphne left, the Ravenclaws had already filled up half the sheet to petition for the restart of the club.

…..

Luna giggled when she heard the news, tugging on her new uniform before closed drapes. "I'm not surprised actually. The tinkling replingers have been floating around several students' heads. I'm sure they were fostering the idea of restarting the DA. After all, hadn't we all received O's?"

Harry sighed, hearing the rustling fabric behind the flimsy division. Though he was ecstatic to hear Luna laughing, he didn't understand why she believed that the DA would continue to run.

The other girls had returned to their classes, promising to take notes down for Harry, for the boy had declared he would stick by Luna's side until she left the infirmary. Of course, they thought nothing of his protective gestures – he had done the same for them whenever they had gotten hurt or had fallen into trouble. Neville had come in just as the girls had left. He apologized to Luna profusely, believing that it was his fault for not escorting her to the library before leaving for his classes.

Luna easily waved off his apology, saying that she had nothing to forgive when it wasn't his fault in the first place. And when that was settled, Neville smiled once more before apologizing and running off to his next class.

"With Voldemort gone, there really is no need to fight, to defend. But it is good to have some skills and abilities to back you up in case of an emergency. Plus, I feel like it would be a good crop this year."

"Already starting to think like a professor, Mr. Potter? Are you sure you're not going to try becoming a teacher?"

Harry laughed, and watched as Luna pulled the divider apart, attempting to pull her socks up, but having a hard time since her abdomen was hurting.

"Here, let me." Harry offered, taking the socks from Luna's hand and pulling them up her slim calves, stopping at the base of her knees. "Is this all right?"

"Thank you," Luna replied breathlessly.

"You're welcome." Harry smiled, nodding his head in approval after he had helped Luna wear her last sock. He knelt down on one knee and proceeded to slip her loafers onto her feet.

"You know, this looks more and more like a scene from _Cinderella_." Luna blushed shyly, curling a lock of her platinum blond hair between her fingers.

Harry blinked. "I didn't think you knew about Cinderella. Does the Wizarding World read muggle fairytales?"

Luna laughed once more, her giggles sounding just shy of ringing wind chimes. "No, no. _Cinderella_ is not a muggle fairytale; it is a Fae's myth; then again, aren't all myths just stories passed down from generation to generation?"

"I. . . I didn't know _Cinderella_ was a Fae's myth." Harry said.

Luna smiled, "Wherever did you think her fairy godmother came from? Really Harry, a _fairy_ godmother?"

"Well. . . that sounds like it makes sense."

"And _Sleeping Beauty_ – the faeries that protected Aurora?"

"Very well. I concede. You have made your point." The elf smiled.

Madam Pomfrey came over just then and handed Luna a glass vial. "Drink up, let me check you and you can head to dinner. I'm sure your friends were quite worried about you." She pointedly sent a look at Harry and the boy nodded his head, excusing himself to wait outside of the infirmary.

"You should have seen Mr. Potter. I don't think I've ever seen him as frantic as that – coming into the infirmary with angry, but worried eyes. The doors had burst open with the massive fluctuation in his magic." The mediwitch laughed, flicking her wand to get a diagnostic on the Ravenclaw.

"Really? But I'm just his friend. A fifth year Ravenclaw." Luna said, waiting patiently.

The mediwitch smiled a knowing smile, "Then you have much to learn."

Dismissing the Ravenclaw, Luna met up with Harry and the two walked down towards the Great Hall.

"What did Madam Pomfrey say?"

"She says that I'm doing quite well. I just need some rest, but since it's Friday – I can the extra sleep in tomorrow."

"Good." Harry smiled and once they entered the Great Hall, Harry escorted Luna over to the Ravenclaw table, helping her into her seat besides Padma and leaving.

"You should have seen it, Luna." Padma smiled gently. "Harry was about to wallop the bullies that left you in the broom closet."

Luna looked down, feeling quite warm at her statement. "He didn't need to," She tried halfheartedly.

"Oh, but I have no doubt that he would once he gets his hands on them. But no worries, Goldstein and I have got your back. If you need anything, you can come to us."

"Thank you," Luna smiled, turning around to catch a glimpse of her savior, her friend.

…..

When April 7th came, the Easter holidays arrived. It had been a month since finding Luna in the broom closet and Harry had not let his little moonbeam out of sight. The elf had escorted her to her classes, carried her books and bag, walked her to their meals and even kept an eye out for her whenever she would stray away from his sight. When she would return to the Ravenclaw Tower for the night, Harry made sure that the wards, spells and charms that he had placed around her bed – with the help of Hogwarts – would stick, stay and protect her.

So far, it was great. Though he still hung around Hermione, Susan and Daphne, Luna was always by his side. Plus, whenever he could, Harry would practice with his Quidditch teammates as they paved the way towards the Quidditch House Cup. He even made time to spend with Neville – and while the Longbottom scion did not mind the Ravenclaw's presence during his and Harry's 'guy time', the sixth year Gryffindor did wonder how far Harry's protectiveness would go.

Luna, however, adored the attention she was given. And while she hated to say it, the Ravenclaw was thankful that Harry was around her. No one pranked her anymore; nobody messed around with her things or stole them for that matter. No one would dare come within a ten feet diameter of her – unless they were either hers or Harry's or any of their group's friends. And Luna didn't mind – not at all. After all, if anyone tried to harm her, they would have to go through a ferocious elf to do so.

Sure she still had to listen to the whispers and backlash that came with garnering the Boy-Who-Lived's attention, but those were only when she returned to the Ravenclaw Tower and was in the presence of the elder Ravenclaws. During classes, her year mates were more focused on their work itself, so there weren't any problems there.

It was oh, so perfect!

Luna felt so safe, so protected, so warm. She smiled every time Harry would look at her and call her his "little moonbeam". The pet name was so endearing, it soon caught on with Hermione, Susan, Neville and even Daphne, whenever the Slytherin was around to hear it.

Of course, Harry would frown whenever the others say it, but Luna would dismiss it as something the person said.

Yet, it was the best feeling Luna had ever felt since stepping foot into Hogwarts as a first year. Harry really did make things better and she would follow him till the ends of Earth, as the muggles had called it.

On the other hand, the days passing by only made Harry more jumpy and nervous than ever. Sure he was anxious whilst he was getting Hermione's parents' permission to date their daughter and eventually be engaged with said daughter, but remembering that entire situation had reminded Harry that he had yet to actually _speak_ with Madam Bones about his relationship with Susan!

And Susan had invited over Hermione and Harry, as well as Daphne, over to Bones Manor for a few days of their Easter holidays! Luna was invited as well, but she said she wished to spend the first few days of vacation with her father before joining them. He was going on a journey to locate some of the magical creatures they saw and believed in.

Harry had no doubt that they might exist. After all, there was something about Luna that made him believe in her – in her words – in the truth of the things that she said. Perhaps it was something in her blood?

"Oh this is going to be a nightmare," Harry bemoaned his lack of preparation. Hermione shared a glance with Susan and the two giggled. Luna, who was walking besides Harry who had an arm wrapped around her waist, only smiled with vacant eyes staring up at the clear blue sky. Neville rolled his eyes, his arm wrapped around Hannah's waist as the couple followed along behind the others.

Thankfully it seemed that their Easter holidays had fallen on a Thursday.

And with a lightheartedness in his steps, something that he had yet to feel in years since entering Hogwarts, Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express after his mates. There was no Dumbledore that year, to guilt him into staying at school.

No Dumbledore anywhere.

…..

"Welcome home, pup." Sirius smiled. Turning to their guests, Sirius and Remus shook Mr. Granger's hand before kissing the back of Mrs. Granger's hand. "And welcome, Daniel and Jessica, to 12 Grimmauld Place. I apologize for the dreary décor, but this is one of the Black Properties in London. Has been in the family for awhile. I thought it would be a good idea to stay in the country."

"Thank you, Sirius." Jessica smiled, though her eyes darted around the house. It was still a bit dusty and the walls were still painted black, but Sirius, Remus and Harry had removed Walburga Black's portrait off the wall and the heads of the past house elves were also gone from the estate.

"We're having Dobby and Winky come and clean up whenever they're free. Of course, we pay them. . ." Sirius hastily added, looking sideways at Hermione.

Said witch laughed at his reaction. "It's all right Sirius," she said, waving away his concern. "Harry told me all about how the magical bond between master and house elf will keep the house elf alive. And without the magic that sustains their bond, the house elf will eventually waste away, or become mentally disturbed. Sort of like Kreacher, when I think about it. Wasn't his master – er. . . Regulus?"

"Yes," Sirius answered, with a sad smile on his face. "Regulus received Kreacher upon his acceptance to Hogwarts. Of course, Kreacher had always been in the Black family – and had always emphasized the pureblood supremacy, what with being given to mother as a part of her betrothal present."

"It make sense now, doesn't it? Kreacher had gotten more out of hand once Walburga died – only a few years after Regulus had passed away." Hermione summarized.

"Enough of that," Remus said, clapping his hands together. "We're spending time together for vacation. It should be a happy affair – none of those somber memories."

"So where shall we begin?" Harry asked.

…..

The court trial was set for the first day of Easter Vacation. Harry didn't know whether or not it was a good thing, but he hoped for the best.

"I now call to trial, Ronald Bilius Weasley, resident at Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, West Country, for offenses committed against Heiress Daphne Greengrass of the Noble and Ancient House of Greengrass. Interrogators: Amelia Susan Bones, Minister for Magic; Kingsley Shacklebolt, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Percy Ignatius Weasley, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister; Court Scribe – Rutherford Dillon the Third Would the accused be seated."

Ron did as he was told, blue eyes looking up warily at the entire courtroom. He didn't have to turn his head to know that many were there because of such a scandalous event.

"Read the accusations."

The court scribe dutifully did so, "Ronald Bilius Weasley is accused of emotional trauma, attempted rape, and battery and assault to the Heiress Greengrass."

"Administer the Veritaserum."

Gale Stone leapt to his feet, "Minister Bones, as the boy is yet of age, he cannot be forced to take the potion."

Ron sagged in his seat. Thankfully the Ministry had appointed him an attorney or else he really would've been in trouble.

"I disagree," Tabetha Wave, the Greengrass family attorney spoke up. "As the defendant has already been charged with thievery and the like in his previous trial, there is no reason that he should not be given Veritaserum. Also, Mr. Stone, your allegations to your defendant's age is false. Mr. Weasley's birthday is March 1st, the same day that he decided to assault Heiress Greengrass. Therefore, he _is_ of age and should be administered the Veritaserum."

There was a pause as the Minister, her Undersecretary and the Head of the DMLE was given evidence to support Wave's statements.

Gale wouldn't show it, but he knew his opponent would go for that. "Of course. I agree with you Ms. Wave." Ron paled in his seat. "However, these documents will prove that, although March 1st is my client's birthday, his time of birth isn't until seven forty-six pm in the evening. Therefore, your evidence is invalid and void."

Wave admitted that Stone won this round, but what was one battle when you could win the war?

"Attorney Stone is correct. The boy will not receive Veritaserum." Minister Bones declared, waving off the employee that stood waiting by.

"Now, let's here your side of the story, Mr. Weasley."

"Thank you, Minister Bones." Ron said. "Well, you see. There I was, walking back to my dormitories, because it was a self-study period for me. Then, out of nowhere, Greengrass accosted me. She pulled me into an alcove and began to –"

Freya and Jeremiah gritted their teeth as they continued to listen to this – this _mongrel_ badmouth and tarnish their daughter's reputation and name. The things he spoke of were outrageous! As if their daughter would lay a finger on that piece of trash!

Tabetha slide a gaze towards her clients and saw their stony face. She looked the other way and saw the Greengrass Heiress frozen still, hands trembling even when _the_ Harry Potter had wrapped his arms around her in comfort. On his face was a snarl and Tabetha knew it was only because of his mates that prevented Harry from breaking the wards around their little section before clawing the boy's eyes out.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley. Attorney Wave, if you would please."

"Thank you, Minister Bones." Tabetha gathered the notes she'd jotted down as the boy talked and walked over to him.

"I'd like to ask where, during this time, were Mr. Weasley's auror guards. At his last case, the final decision was to allow Mr. Weasley to continue his education _with_ an auror supervision. However, several witnesses found Mr. Weasley unattended for, which allowed for him to put his plan into action."

"I don't know," Ron shrugged his shoulders. "They probably went for a leak or something. I don't keep track of where they are. Aren't they the ones that didn't do their job well? If they were around me, Greengrass wouldn't have even tried to get in my pants." He answered carelessly.

Tabetha paused before answering. "Of course." She could see it. The boy felt empowered, having not taken the Veritaserum. He thought he could bluff his way out of this? Well, he was in for a shock.

"Minister Bones, here are the statements taken from Mr. Weasley's Aurors supervision squad. They stated that Mr. Weasley had rushed away from them as soon as class ended. He had ran around the corner before they were ambushed by him and the other two assailants with stunners. They were only awakened after they arrived in the Infirmary, courtesy of the Charms Professor, Filius Flitwick."

Papers were passed around and soon the interrogation really started. Tabetha shot question after question, even as the Minister gave her own. If they weren't known for being as stoic as the Malfoys, Harry knew his future Greengrass mother and father-in-law would've been grinning vindictively.

Yet, the boy didn't crack. Even if he kept going on and on about how _he_ was traumatized by a girl's attempt to rape _him_ , Ron didn't realize that his stories were lacking any sort of evidence. After all, it was his word against the victim's, and the fact that he did not take the truth serum really didn't favor him in the audience's eyes.

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley." Amelia spoke up. She gathered all the evidence before handing them over to Percy. "Please escort Mr. Weasley to his holding cell. Have a squadron of Aurors posted around him and we will alert you when he is needed."

"There will be a brief intermission." Minister Bones said, and she stood from her seat and left the room.

"That lying scumbag," Harry hissed, glaring daggers at the redheaded boy who walked past them with a smug smile. "He thinks he's won this."

"Don't worry, Daphne." Hermione said, reaching over her fiancé and giving the blonde a firm grip on her shoulder. "He'll rue the day he messed with us."

"Of course," Daphne said stiffly.

When recess ended, the girls were half-full from their little snack and everyone had gathered. Daphne was called up to testify, as she was the victim. Her acceptance to use the truth serum really paved the way through Ron's lies. Following Daphne was Hermione, Susan and then Harry. Of course, everyone paid more attention to _him_.

"Would you like to use Veritaserum, Lord Potter-Black?"

"Of course." Harry said. "However, I am not sure if it'll be effective due to my elven inheritance. If I may," He was given the vial and he stared at it, gauging the amount before he took a swig.

"Lord Potter!" Minister Bones cried out in shock. "How do you feel?"

"I feel fine, angry in Daphne's behalf." Harry answered in a monotone voice.

"Good, it's working." Amelia breathed a sigh of relief. "Now, if we can hurry this along. I am not sure how long this dosage will work for."

Harry was asked the appropriate questions to assure the audience that the potion was working before they got into the nitty-gritty bits.

"Please relay your encounter of the event."

"I was studying with Hermione and Susan in the library when I smelled blood. I quickly followed the scent and found Daphne on the floor. Her clothes were ripped and Weasley, Crabbe and Goyle were standing all around her chuckling like it was a game. I quickly dispatched them and I went for Weasley because he had reached his hand towards her. Only when the rest of my mates came did I really calm down. But my elven side was not appeased. It wanted revenge for what happened to Daphne, but Daphne was more important so I had to cover her up."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

Amelia motioned for Ron's attorney to continue. Stone stood up and walked around Harry. "When you say that you found my client along with two others surrounding Heiress Daphne, can you clarify what you mean?"

"The hallway was dimly lit –"

"So you couldn't have seen who the assailants were!"

"No. My creature inheritance gave me better vision than I ever had. Therefore, I knew it was Weasley, Crabbe and Goyle. In addition, their scent was quite obvious and recognizable."

"You admitted that you attacked my client?"

"Yes."

"Then he should be the one suing you. He had done nothing to you, yet you attacked him for no reason."

"What better reason to attack someone than to defend my mate's honor and chastity. He nearly raped her. What would've happened if I hadn't gotten there in time? She would've had that memory stained in her body and would've affected her deeply. She is already in pain now, yet Weasley has denied the truth serum in favor of changing the story in his favor."

"How can you say that you favored your assault with my client because you wished to defend your mate's honor? According to your testimony, he had yet to touch her."

"Her clothes were ripped and while Crabbe and Goyle were holding her arms and legs down, he was reaching for her top." Harry answered. His finger twitched and his eyes began to clear.

"One last question, Attorney Stone." Minister Bones warned.

"You are certain that you saw my client and two others about to rape Heiress Greengrass."

"I am positive."

"No further questions."

"Would you offer to show us your memory of the situation?"

"Of course." Harry agreed, and his memory was retrieved before it was shown to the gallery.

"Please bring in the accused as we discuss the verdict." Minister Bones said. With a wave of her wand, the Wizengamot members disappeared from view, showing blurry vague figures from behind a thick veil.

Harry blinked his eyes and shook his head. He grimaced at the cotton-wool taste in his mouth before he stepped out of the chair and reached for a ready-made glass of water to drink. He walked back over to his mates and resumed his position around Daphne, keeping her calm even as her face was stone cold.

"Don't worry, Daphne." Susan whispered, rubbing her hands up and down the Slytherin's arm. "This is in our favor. There's no way he won't be guilty."

Ron entered the courtroom and was placed at the center, shackles locking him into the chair as he stared forward at the blur. He didn't even acknowledge anyone in the crowd, a stupid smirk on his face.

The tension was high and within twenty minutes, the view of the Wizengamot was cleared.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, we find you guilty of all charges." Minister Bones said, reaching off of the parchment. "We also find you guilty of assaulting your Auror guards before the attempted rape and as you are now of age, you are sentenced to two years in Azkaban, post haste. You may continue the rest of your education after your compiled sentence if you wish, but your debt with Lord Potter-Black will continue even when you're placed in Azkaban. You are to be given a restraining order as soon as you leave the prison – stay away from Harry and his friends and family; a good 100 meters should suffice. As the verdict stands, your wand will also be snapped and your magic sealed for the duration of your stay in Azkaban, as dictates in your last trial."

"WHAT?!" Ron burst out, angrily standing from his chair. He rattled the chains loudly. "HOW COULD YOU BELIEVE THE SLUT OVER ME?!"

"Silence, Mr. Weasley!" Amelia commanded. Cameras went off in a flurry.

Then there was a crazy gleam in his eyes as Ron fell back down in his seat. "I know what it is…" He muttered quickly and feverishly. "It's because of Potter… Potter…"

Ron's head shot up and his blue eyes glared at the quartet. "IT'S YOUR FAULT POTTER! IF YOU WEREN'T HERE, THEY'D BELIEVE ME! BUT OF COURSE! WHO WOULD DOUBT MR. GOLDEN BOY? THE SAVIOR OF OUR WORLD!" The redhead spat. "YOU RUINED MY LIFE! DO YOU HEAR ME?!"

"TAKE HIM AWAY!" Amelia shouted through the chaos.

"I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS! YOU THINK RAPE IS THE BEST THING I CAN THINK OF?! NO! I'LL GET MY REVENGE! AND YOU'LL REGRET THIS!" Ron shouted, jumping backwards to stare at them even as four Aurors grappled at his flailing limbs. "I'LL COME BACK AND YOU'LL REGRET YOU EVER BETRAYED ME! DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOU'LL –"

The courtroom doors closed loudly behind him, yet the audience could still hear his loud screams from outside.

"Well," Amelia said, smoothing out the wrinkles in her robes. "I think that's the end of the case. Court adjourned."

The gavel knocked three times, signaling the end of the case.

…..

"How are you feeling, my darling?" Freya wrapped her arms around her eldest, absentmindedly petting her hair just the way Daphne liked it when she was little and had been scared of the dark.

"I'm fine mum." Daphne murmured. "I'm glad he got what he deserved."

"Yes, hopefully two years in Azkaban will set him straight."

Hermione shook her head, "I doubt it. If anything, Ron was the most stubborn of the three of us. Not only was he bullheaded, he was also ignorant and an… well – he's an idiot. And besides, after his two-year sentence, he still has to finish his community service _without_ magic."

"It'll be alright, Daph," Susan said. "He can't do anything without magic."

"Let's not allow this to ruin the rest of our vacation, Daphne." Jeremiah spoke up. He patted her on the shoulders and gave her a warm smile. "He does not deserve your attention."

"Yes…" She reached for Harry's hand, and held it with a firm grasp. "However, I can't help but feel that he's gone somewhat off the deep end. He even promised revenge when he got out."

"Not to worry. I will speak with Amelia and with how many strikes he's received, he'll never be out of the Aurors' sights." Her father promised. He'd be damned if he allowed his daughter to get hurt again.

Jeremiah chanced a glance at Harry and smiled. The elf looked like he was about to go on a rampage, his viridian green eyes ablaze with fierce protection for his mates.

"Come, let us return to Grimmauld Place and rest. I think we've had enough for today." Freya suggested.

They walked out of the courtroom, ignoring all the pressing questions from the media before heading over to the floo's. They were soon whisked away, leaving the media to run off to get a jump start on the early morning editions.

…..

A/N: Yep! Finished! Though, I feel like it was a bit rushed :/ Not that happy with it, but happy that I got my main points across. Thanks for reading!


	13. The Arrival of a Guest

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

A/N: Happy New Year! 2016 is now 2017! Sorry for the many late updates, but I've found myself drowning from real life!

Chapter 13

~ The Arrival of a Guest ~

The first few days of their Easter vacation – approximately for three days – was spent at 12 Grimmauld Place. Within these three days, Dobby and Winky were bonded to the Potter family – more importantly, to Harry himself. Joyous at having a new family, the two were measured and suited for a new uniform – the large Potter insignia sewn on the tops' left breast as the stigma, whereas the other six houses were sewn in the shape of petals.

The ancestral home of the Black family was practically sparkling clean from the two new Potter house elves' zealous cleansing. They had put their hard work into it and with magic, it was a lot easier to get the house clean. The walls were repainted; there was new flooring installed. The stairs were no longer creaking loudly with each step and the house had more windows installed with the black curtains torn down and exchanged for cream colored ones.

Daniel, Jessica and Hermione had taken Sirius, Remus and Harry out to several muggle restaurants, diners and cafés to widen their experiences of the muggle world. Once Sirius had gone shopping in a muggle store, he had nearly bought out the shelves and racks that held the leather pants and shirts that were practically like a second skin. The outfit he wore had a grey V-neck top with black leather pants. It certainly earned him approving looks from the young muggle women that they walked passed.

Only Hermione and her parents seemed to realize the subtle gestures between the two grown wizards. Harry was completely oblivious to Remus's indignant huff at his lover's suggestive winks to all his admirers. The Gryffindor was completely unaware of Sirius's reaction to his lover's scowl, persistently ignoring the animagus even when Sirius had tried to apologize. Though, the animagus was not as oblivious as Harry was, glaring at their audience when many had had overly enthusiastic reactions to Remus's attire.

Like Sirius, Remus was also wearing fashionable clothes – clothes that no longer showed his past impoverished state. The werewolf had shaved his mustache during the few months between their winter and Easter holidays, making him look years younger. It helped that he no longer used the Wolfsbane potion after Severus had told him all about the side effects that came with it.

"It would weaken the wolf," Severus had explained. "But it would also weaken the wizard," as that effect was already seen through the haggard look Remus sported after every full moon. The potion would increase the conflict between wizard/witch and werewolf, thus preventing the tranquility and peace that would be created between the two should the two be able to "merge" together; a balance between animal and human that would benefit either one should the need arise (i.e. sharp senses and abilities for the witch/wizard or a logical mindset/thinking when transformed into a werewolf). Then again, it should have been obvious to Remus; Wolfsbane, otherwise called as Monkshood or Aconite, was a very poisonous substance after all.

The results were phenomenal. Remus had lost the wrinkles in his forehead, the stress lines entwined within them. Though he had crows' feet, they were less prominent compared to the laugh lines around his mouth. His hair was looking more fine and silky soft than lanky and oily as if he hadn't washed it in years. Rather than walking with his back hunched over and shoulders stiffened, he walked with more grace and had a better posture. Even his skin was more youthful and serene looking than old and overtaxed.

But besides that, Remus was more boyish looking, with an air of maturity and sophistication – the opposite of Sirius who was more rugged looking, with an air of coquetry and passion. The werewolf was wearing a light-weight cobalt colored sweater over a forest green button down dress shirt. His jeans were nearly skin tight, showing the slim calves, muscled thighs and firm butt that Sirius thoroughly enjoyed. Remus even had new glasses on, the thick black rimmed glasses that made him look as intelligent as the man really was.

"Don't let them look at you like that," Sirius growled, pulling Remus against his waist – earning incomprehensible looks from their audience. "And why are you wearing glasses? You're not reading."

"My vision is a bit hazy, but it should alright by tonight. Besides, I cannot direct them to where they are and are not allowed to look, Sirius." Remus frowned. "I _certainly_ cannot prohibit the audiences that are drawn to my attire."

"I apologize for my actions, Remy. You know I don't mean them." Sirius said, solemnly.

"Even if you didn't," Remus said, shrugging off the hand on his shoulder. "It doesn't mean that you can stop your habits."

For the rest of that day, Sirius had openly made his relationship public – even in front of Harry, whom had known about them being together. Not that the Gryffindor hadn't noticed – after all, the elf had been staying with the two for the entire summer. It wasn't that hard to tell that they were together. It was even more obvious when Harry had caught them once without the silencing charms around their room.

Even Severus had known.

Once, Harry had asked Sirius if they were going to visit the Delacours again. Of course, this earned some eyebrow waggling from his godfather, which prompted Remus to give the old dog a good whack on the head with a rolled up newspaper.

"I don't mean it like that!" Harry said exasperatedly.

"Oh? And what _do_ you mean, pup?" Sirius grinned.

Harry felt the beginnings of a flush creep up his neck. "I just wanted to talk to Fleur. I don't see her that much, and I haven't talked to her at all since winter vacation. Plus, it would be nice to catch up on whatever she's doing. Letters aren't enough you know; it's easier to see what's going on when you're talking to someone face to face."

Sirius and Remus shared a secretive look before assuring Harry that they had already planned to spend part of their summer vacation with the Delacour's. Happy with that explanation, Harry returned to his friends' side and enjoyed his time with them.

Their four days had gone by quickly, and soon, the Grangers returned to the muggle world to continue on their dentistry. Severus had joined them a day into their vacation, but promptly left the same day that Harry and Hermione had flooed to Susan's place, where Neville and Luna were awaiting their presence, along with Hannah, the Bones heiress and the Greengrass heiress.

"Harry, Hermione!" They greeted. Hugs were quickly distributed amongst their small party. "How was your vacation so far?"

"Wonderful. We stayed in London though. Our families stayed together for the first four days, but Severus joined us the second day. He stayed until we left just a few minutes ago." Harry said.

" _Severus_?" Daphne echoed. " _Professor_ Snape?"

"Yes." Harry nodded his head. "He was with us during the summer as well. We pushed aside our differences. He _did_ save me multiple times throughout my years at Hogwarts. And once he's gotten that I am not my father, and that I had realized that Severus was only venting his anger out on the beliefs that had been placed inside him due to his being bullied throughout Hogwarts _and_ Dumbledore lacking to correct his conviction – we got along just fine. He's also one of the reasons why my potions grade is better now."

Filing that in their minds, their conversation soon moved onto the others' vacations. Susan had spent her time with Amelia Bones; the Head of the DMLE had been called in on a sudden notice, but would return to spend the rest of Easter vacation with her niece. Hannah had stayed home with her family as well, but would leave soon for her family trip to Spain, prompting Hermione to speak with the Hufflepuff about their culture and traditions.

Neville had gone over to Hannah's the last two days, coming over with his girlfriend just today. Daphne had spent her time with the Greengrass family, who was currently residing in their beach house in Italy. Daphne had only come over to stay for a couple of days before she would return with Harry in tow.

The small party of six spent the rest of the day doing their homework. Yes, homework. Their Easter vacation homework had been put aside for the first couple of days to allow the teens to relax, but now that they were a few days into their break, there shouldn't be any reason not to do so. And besides, Harry had to wait for Madam Bones to return so he could talk to her.

…..

"Susan, is it time for dinner already," Amelia smiled, handing her jacket over to her house elf. "I'm terribly sorry. My paperwork had to be done by today and filed by tomorrow morning."

"It's okay, Aunt Amelia." Susan said, just as she came down from the staircase.

Amelia smiled sadly. Her niece was growing up – all mature, all ladylike. . . all without her there to document the most important moments. "But the good news is, I'm yours for the rest of the Easter! Are you glad?"

The Head of the DMLE enjoyed the blooming smile on the Hufflepuff's face as they embraced.

Removing herself from the hug, Amelia noticed the rest of their guests, "Ah Mr. Potter. Nice to see you again. How is Black doing?"

Harry smiled. "Sirius is doing fine. He's with Remus right now. I hope you don't mind that Susan invited us to stay over for a few days. It was actually an opportune offer; I had wished to speak with you for some time now."

"Oh?" Amelia raised her eyebrow. "Does this have anything to do with the fact that the _Daily Prophet_ has found out that you have an elven inheritance?"

Harry nodded sheepishly, "Yes, it does."

"Very well. Shall we speak of this after our meal?"

"Is it all right to talk about this during our meal? All my friends are here and are supportive of what I need to say."

Amelia gave them all a look and smiled, "Of course. Pippy, set extra seats for our guests."

"Yes, Mistress Bones," The house elf bowed and disappeared.

Adjourning to the informal dining room, Amelia sat at the head of the table while Susan sat on her right, followed by Hannah and Neville. Harry sat on Amelia's left, followed by Hermione, Daphne and Luna.

"Now, what is it that you wish to speak about?" Amelia asked, after a sip of her Firewhiskey. She deserved a drink after a long day's work – certainly some as a precaution to the seriousness of the conversation.

"I am an elf, Madam Bones. My inheritance has given me the stature and status of a High Elf. I am of the opinion that that would mean someone might come for me. When that time is, I have no clue, but due to the circumstances of becoming an elf a full year before my seventeenth birthday, there will be someone that comes for me. I have no doubt that my mates will be accessed – certainly appraised to see if they are worthy of me. This is not something that would be questionable because I find qualities that are insurmountable in each and every one of them."

How smart. Buttering her up before getting to the main point. Amelia smiled and nodded for Harry to go on.

"My point is, Susan is one of my mates. I certainly have to marry seven lovely woman due to my link with the British Ministry. However, I do not choose Susan without any thoughts to it. I hope you approve of my choice. Susan is a strong, young lady with a virtuous disposition –"

"Oh Harry. I'm not as righteous as you think I am," Susan smiled sadly. "I didn't believe you during the basilisk incident –"

"No, Susan. You are justified in your beliefs. Everyone was scared and because there was proof that I could speak Parseltongue – and the fact that there must have been a reason behind Voldemort's attack on my person when I was an infant, one just had to infer from those facts that I had probably set loose the serpent."

Susan's lips quivered, but she held firm. Her eyes shone with apology, but bore the confidence that Harry was familiar with after all these months.

Smiling, Harry nodded his head at his second mate and turned to his mate's aunt. "Like I said, Susan is a righteous person. She has a good head on her shoulders and is a great girlfriend. It had slipped my mind before, but I am here now to ask for your acceptance to allow me to continue dating Susan. I have gone through the full two weeks courting session and hope that you approve. There is also the matter of turning Susan, should it come to it. I have already asked Hermione's parents for their approval and they have granted me so, but only with the condition that they be turned too – to stay with Hermione."

Amelia took another sip and placed her mug down. She allowed for the silence to hang over their meal, as she cut up her steak and ate.

The tension was high, of course. Amelia understood so. She was Susan's guardian – the one that would hand over Susan to whomever her dear niece deemed worthy of her love. And now, the boy who was currently dating the last of her family, the Boy-Who-Defeated-Voldemort-Twice, had handed over the authority of their relationship to her for inspection, so to say.

Her eyes glanced over at their faces. Susan and Harry were the most tense. The rest of their friends were all right, she supposed; but Amelia could see how stiff their shoulders were, how tight they gripped their utensils and the strain of their appetite.

Susan kept glancing up at her and then back down to her plate before looking at Harry with eyes that seemed threatened to cry. But the resolve and intensity that reflected back to her in Harry's eyes stopped her short of tears, eliciting a determined expression onto the redhead's face as she sat back and continued on with dinner as if it were a normal everyday affair.

As their dishes were cleared off, Amelia spoke.

"I can see how encouraging you are of one another. There is no mistake that you are possibly the most powerful wizard of all time, Lord Potter-Black."

"Please, call me Harry."

Amelia smiled; very interesting indeed.

"I can see how strong your connection with each other is. You boost Susan to heights that she's never seen and in turn, she is the one of a handful of people that you can truly place your trust in. There is no doubt that the two of you are harmonious with one another. As such, I allow you permission to continue to date my niece." Amelia smiled when the children looked at one another. "And – with regards to the turning, you have my permission – however my condition is similar to that of the Grangers. Please turn me as well; I do not wish to leave Susan by herself. She has lost enough as it is."

With that acceptance, the tension dissipated and the party of eight polished off their dessert before returning to their room.

…..

"That was the scariest moment of my life," Susan breathed out.

The girls had ushered the boys out of Susan's room, and after bidding them all a good night, the girls settled down for a sleepover – girls only.

"I know," Hannah giggled. "You just about bent your fork into a right angle."

"I have to say though; this was a tad scarier than the basilisk incident."

"Hush you," Susan pouted, but she smiled. "I'm just glad that Aunt Amelia gave her blessing. I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't."

"Probably just continue dating Harry," Daphne announced. "If you truly love him, you would do so. Any other option would make it seem like it was just a fling."

"Do I hear wedding bells already?" Hermione smiled.

"Wedding bells?" The four purebloods looked at the muggle and it was then that Hermione actually realized the cultural differences between both worlds. And so, she went about explaining to the girls about what they were.

Nevertheless, it was with happy sighs that the girls began to fantasize about their own weddings.

Then the three mates noticed the youngest girl fidgeting on her spot.

"What's wrong Luna?"

"How do you suppose you all feel about being in a relationship with Harry?" The blond asked. She was actually quite serious, if in a nervous manner and it didn't seem like the Luna they knew who would stare dreamily into space and talk in riddles and such.

Hermione, Susan and Daphne shared a look. It was something they had avoided speaking out loud, but now that the topic was brought up, they would have t acknowledge it.

"It's strange," Hermione answered. "But not in a bad way!" She quickly rectified, seeing the wary look on Susan and Daphne's faces. "You have to understand. In the muggle world, there is no such thing as polygamy. There is only one person you marry and unless you divorce that person, you don't really date another. Not that there aren't any exceptions with cheating and having affairs on the side."

"I suppose that is quite unusual – seeing as you're leaving one culture and jumping into another," Daphne nodded her head. "But, I'm glad I got to know you two during third year and have continued to be friends these past few years. It certainly makes it easier to know that I have some knowledge of who it is that I'll actually share Harry with."

Susan smiled gently, "Luna. It may be a bit disconcerting to marry Harry and have six other sister-wives, but I'm sure we'll manage. After all, Harry is probably the top choice for every witch to marry, but he's picked the three of us! It certainly brings the idea of having a relationship with him to perspective. I mean, out of the millions of people all over the world, Harry chose the three of us and will choose four others. Anyone in a relationship with Harry must be someone that he truly sees a good deal of whatever values he holds. That is why I think that we're quite fine with dealing with six other people."

Luna bobbed her head and smiled, "That's good. I would hate to see either of you marrying Harry out of anything other than love." Hannah nodded along to the Ravenclaw's statement

Hermione smiled, "You should see the arguments that Harry and Sirius gets into. He's still trying to get Sirius to accept the title of Lord Black back. Sirius is adamant that he won't do it, but Harry refuses to give up."

"You don't need titles to define a person's achievements," Hannah spoke up. "But I think that one less title would make things easier for you guys if Harry happens to pick someone who doesn't work well with any of you."

"We trust Harry. He'll choose someone that loves him for himself." Daphne stated, "Besides, out of the three of us, is there anyone that has decided to marry him just for his name and fortune?"

Luna giggled, "They're not some of the Weasleys that we know, that's for sure."

As their girlish chatter dragged on, night turned to dawn and eventually to day, and the morning saw five sleepy girls yawning as they walked into the dining room.

…..

A few days later saw Harry over at Daphne's house. Hermione had returned home to her parents for the rest of vacation and Susan had stayed home. Everyone else had done the same, all except for Luna who was currently in the Greengrass estate's gardens.

Currently, the Gryffindor was sitting in Lord Greengrass's office where both Lord and Lady Greengrass was peering at him with an inspective gaze.

"Lord Greengrass, Lady Greengrass, it would be an honor if you would allow me the right to court your daughter, Daphne Greengrass, in hopes of an engagement and a marriage as the final result."

"How bold," Freya cooed.

"Do you realize the implications of your loyalty?" Jeremiah asked.

"I understand that we come from different backgrounds and, even more so, different houses. Though this might bring up any house rivalries, and our lack of scheduling to meet up with each other, I will make it my personal duty to spend as much time as possible with your daughter."

Jeremiah smirked. "And are there any intentions that you have towards my daughter?"

Harry pursed his lips in thought, "As a High Elf, my life is now longer than the average magical person. So it is of my intentions that I ask for you to allow me to turn Daphne, should she wish to do so."

"Turning?" Freya frowned, her amusement now gone as she placed her teacup and saucer down onto the table. "That was certainly not on the agenda, is it?" She turned to Jeremiah for confirmation.

"No. . . it is not." Jeremiah agreed, his eyebrows were furrowed at the sudden left turn in subject.

Harry had to tread carefully now. In a way, it was easier to get the Grangers and Amelia to agree with turning their only daughter and niece, respectively. However, it would be harder for Harry to seek approval on that particular topic when dealing with the Greengrass'. After all, they had another daughter to think about and that daughter would eventually have a family of her own.

The point of the matter was, is that Hermione was the only child of the Granger family and Susan was the only family Amelia had left. Daphne had both parents and her youngest sister who would eventually marry off into another family. How could Harry do this so both parties would feel all right with this idea?

"I understand that turning would mean that Daphne would be living a longer life than either of you or her younger sister, Astoria, " Harry began, licking his lips. Merlin, this was even more nerve wrecking than anything! "Daphne's turning would also mean the possibility of leaving the Wizarding World. However, if it is what you wish, I believe I can also turn the two of you and Astoria as well. It might seem as if my solution to the 'turning your daughter into an elf' problem is to turn her family as well, but a mate is everything to a magical creature. And family is everything to me, including my mates. I don't want them to live life in agony, because of the choices we did not make – only to regret them in the end. Should you accept this proposition, all four of you will be changed. I cannot say for certain that Astoria's husband and his family will be changed, but any immediate family will be."

Jeremiah and Freya exchanged glances, "We'll think about this, Lord Potter." Harry held back a wince; they were now on formality with one another. "We give you our blessing to court our eldest daughter, but as for your second question, it will take time to decide."

Harry stood up and nodded his head. "I understand it is a tough choice that you have to make and I acknowledge that. Take all the time that you need. This is too important to rush through." Bowing at the waist, he excused himself and had a house elf lead him to Daphne's room.

"How was it?" Daphne asked, after Harry had settled down onto a settee.

"They've given me their blessings. So I'll be courting you for two weeks." Daphne smiled at that. "However, with the turning question, that will take time."

"I apologize."

"Whatever for? I'm actually glad that they're taking their time. It means that they understand the seriousness of the situation and need to take in the factors surrounding the topic. They can take all the time that they need Daphne. And if they don't allow for the turning, then I will love you every day until we part ways."

"Don't say that!" Daphne hissed. She stood up and walked a few feet away with her back turned to Harry. "It sounds like you've given up and are subjecting yourself to the worst case scenario."

Harry sighed, coming around to wrap his arms around the blond Slytherin's petite waist. "I'm not giving up. I really wish for eternity with you, as I do with the other girls. Every single one of you is special to me. I don't think I would've understood that unless the circumstances have allowed it. But the situation is critical and must be handled gently and accordingly. I cannot brush off your parents' wishes just because I want you to stay with me."

Daphne whipped around, tears filling her eyes. "But what about me? Don't I get to choose?"

Harry brought her closer and wrapped his arms around her tightly. He felt her clutch at his robes desperately as if he would soon slip from her grasp and fade away. "Of course I value your decision, Daphne. But I also have to take your parents' decision into account. If it comes down to choosing you and them, so be it. I will always choose you – because _we_ will have a family together. _We_ are in a relationship and I will _always_ protect you no matter what happens."

"Is that true?"

"Of course," Harry replied vehemently. "Your happiness over all the rest. But I have hope that your parents will allow it and agree to being turned as well as your sister. I don't have anyone to call family - not including Sirius or Remus of course. Certainly not the Dursleys. But soon, I will have six wives and together, we will be a family."

Daphne nodded her head and enjoyed the warmth surrounding her.

…..

The Greengrass' had yet to give an answer to Harry by the time he and Luna had had to leave. Assuring them that he would wait as long as it took, he took Luna and left their estate after planting a kiss on Daphne's forehead.

The Gryffindor had been rather reluctant to leave Luna alone for the rest of Easter holiday, but the blond Ravenclaw had assured him that her father would be there with her. After confirming that Xenophilius Lovegood was indeed going to be staying at home for the rest of break, Harry left Luna with a kiss on her forehead.

The rest of the holiday was spent with Sirius and Remus. Though, they had some guests in the name of Tonks, arriving at Black Manor. And the way he found out about their guests was quite. . . peculiar. After all, he had had to catch a falling auror whom had toppled off of the top of the stairs and into his arms as he walked by the staircase. He was awarded a kiss on the cheek for that before he remembered who that person actually was.

Harry was once again introduced to Tonks, whom he had had several glimpses of back during first year when Nymphadora Tonks was still a seventh year Hufflepuff, and back during the Ministry incident when she had come with the Order to save their friends.

Of course, spending time with someone that was close in age was rather relaxing. Not to mention she was a tad clumsy, but very hilarious when it came to morphing into several animals with weird faces. He had spoken with Andromeda and had welcomed her back into the fold of the Black family, thus allowing Tonks to become a member of the Black family as well.

"Welcome back Andy," Sirius smiled.

"Good to be back," Andromeda returned his smile. "But I'm more thankful that Nymphadora – NYMPHADORA!"

All heads turned to see said Auror snogging the life out of Harry, who was quite receptive to her advances. Before they pulled away, it seemed as if he was besting the metamorphmagus at her own game, if her appreciative moans were any indication of her increasing arousal. Tonks was steadily grinning with a flushed face – either at being caught or feeling the heat from such a passionate lip-locking session.

"NYMPHADORA TONKS! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?"

"MUM! STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

"THAT IS YOUR NAME YOUNG LADY!" Andromeda screamed. For Sirius whom had grown up with the Bellatrix look-alike, it was quite eerie to see her not as composed as she was known for. "HARRY IS SIX YEARS YOUNGER THAN YOU!"

"BUT HE LOOKS LIKE _THAT_!"

Harry was easily pulled to the side with Sirius roaring in laughter. "What was that all about pup? I thought you were quite amorous with your three lovely ladies." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Harry shrugged. "I did not want to be outdone by Tonks. Plus, she's kind of hot."

Sirius roared even louder, bringing Remus and Ted over to their little corner.

"I don't know if I should appreciate hearing my daughter spoken about that way," Ted said grinning. "If you want to date her, permission needs to be granted."

"Would it be possible for me to court Nymphadora? It seems we are quite compatible with each other. I don't know where it would lead, but hopefully it would be something worthwhile."

"You seem like a good boy, doesn't he Andy?" Ted asked.

"Dating my daughter, your distant cousin, Potter?" Andy asked, walking over with Nymphadora in tow. The young Auror was blushing red.

"I would like to, yes." Harry admitted. "Though we may be distant cousins, we're quite far off the family tree that it wouldn't produce any problems should we move further into our relationship. In addition, I find Tonks quite endearing. And though I have yet to get to know her, I feel like it would be a good time to do so if we were dating."

"You. . . really want to date _me_?" Tonks asked. "But you're the Boy-Who-Lived! You defeated V-V-Voldemort twice!"

The elf raised his eyebrows in an exasperated expression. "See, that's the thing. Others would want to date me just because I am a lord of seven houses, and have the fame and fortune backing me up. Therefore, they wouldn't need to lift a finger to get whatever they want. That's where they're wrong. However, you have a nice job that you have worked hard for. You are probably one of the rising Aurors in the DMLE. I've heard Madam Bones speak quite highly of you. Plus, you have a good sense of integrity."

Nymphadora seemed to deflate at that, "That's it?"

"Well, you are quite beautiful. However, I don't believe that I'm complimenting the _real_ you. Plus, I think that others have placed their own desires above your own and therefore, with this courting session, I would like to get to know you better rather than objectifying you."

Nymphadora smiled. "All right then. When do we begin?"

"I understand that your career as an Auror and my time as a student will mesh quite unusually – as much as our time schedules will allow it. So our courting session will take longer than the usual two weeks. However, I am willing to take as long as you need, and we can go at our own pace."

"How about the first Hogsmeade weekend after you return to school? I think I can get time off that day."

"I look forward to it," Harry smiled, kissing the back of the metamorphmagus's hand. Nymphadora giggled before withdrawing her hand.

Though his vacation was enjoyable and quite relaxing, Harry itched to have his mates back together with him, but his human side understood that they needed to be with family. And so, Harry happily spent time with the new members of the Black family, listening to Tonks' stories as an Auror, Ted's law firm cases and Andromeda's cooking tips.

…..

The two weeks after Easter were rather boring. With all the rain and dreary weather, Harry, the girls and his friends could hardly step outside of the castle without being soaked to the bones. That was why they either stayed at the library and studied, or went to the Room of Requirement to hang out.

It was not much, so Harry could not really meet up with Daphne as much as he would have liked. When it was found out that Daphne Greengrass, _the_ Ice Queen of Slytherin, was being courted by Harry Potter, the female population went berserk. The male population glared at Harry whenever he turned his back and the female students went through many options in order to tear down Daphne's reputation in the school. Harry had been able to prevent the first fight, a few days after they had returned from their vacation.

It didn't stop their whispers or gossip though.

Daphne was unperturbed; her ice mask was set in place. Nothing that Harry nor any of his other mates could get her to open up about the scornful comments circulating the school's gossip circles. Not even Daphne's best friend, Tracy Davis, could get her to talk about her feelings towards the suspected, but hurtful, turn of events.

Nevertheless, despite the terrible weather and the lack of both communication and somewhat intimacy with Daphne, Harry had met up with Nymphadora. While their courting session had yet to end, seeing as it had been extended to once every two weeks, the duo had learned quite a bit about each other, during the hours spent together. Still they had only spent only a full day together and Harry had only given the auror her first gift, one that the metamorphmagus was quite happy with because it was something that had been her mother's and should have been passed down to her if Andromeda had still been a part of the Black family. It was a black silk, ruffled choker with a large 10-carat onyx pendant hanging from the center. Behind the pendant, and engraved in beautiful white, cursive letters was the Black family motto, _Toujours Pur_. Harry had helped put in onto the Auror and watched as Tonks shivered, feeling the effects of the protective magic of the Black family, wash over her body.

And after a few hours of talking together, they had had to part ways, but Harry and Tonks had taken time to write letters back and forth during the two weeks that Harry was back at school and Tonks was back at work, enabling communication to continue on.

Nymphadora quite enjoyed the arrangement, and Harry's other three mates didn't seem to mind the situation as they understood that Harry needed four other mates. Luna had acted quite strange, but it was quite normal for the blond Ravenclaw.

…..

Exactly on Beltane – May 1st – Harry had felt an itchy feeling within him. No, it wasn't his thirst for any sexual encounters with any of his mates. Far beyond that. In fact, despite the popular belief that Beltane was it was considered a fertility festival – where magical beings would continuously romp underneath the stars in order to bear a child, Harry's itch was dedicated to something else.

He needed to do something today. Not as a wizard, but as an elf. He didn't know if he needed to do it alone or if he required assistance.

Harry flopped back onto his bed and threw an arm over his eyes. Everything would've gone perfectly if he had had his inheritance _this_ July and not the last! But due to some bizarre circumstances, his creature inheritance _and_ magical inheritance had accelerated a year ahead.

Not that Harry didn't enjoy it. It gave him more magic _and_ it was due to him being an elf that had saved Daphne in the first place. However, he didn't know what he was doing or what he was supposed to do and he was going crazy!

Everybody that knew Harry, could see how fidgety he was being. He looked like he had an itch he couldn't reach, or had a lot on his mind. But whenever Harry was questioned about it, the elf really couldn't say. In fact, he couldn't pinpoint the problem to his anxiousness that he kept feeling.

That was until one morning on a pouring Hogsmeade weekend.

During breakfast, the doors to the Great Hall had slammed open with unbelievable force, yet it could not be linked to the lithe elf that walked down the hall with grace and elegance.

The elf was about six feet seven, with beautiful straight white hair, tipped ears, almond-shaped cerulean blue eyes, a sharp nose, high and defined cheekbones, and thin lips. His face was flawlessly pale, shining brighter than moonlight with the pristine white silk robes, gold crescent embroidery around his waist, cuffs on billowing sleeves and collar. The thing that stood out the most about the elf was not his hair or height but the most beautiful and most simply designed oak leaf mists headpiece, with its elegant wisps of elven made scrolls and loops that wrapped its way around the sturdy circlet crown and a 10mm round white opal gemstone in diameter.

The noise greatly reduced to silence as all eyes were enraptured by the elf's overpowering aura.

"How can I help you, sir?" Acting Headmistress McGonagall asked, standing up to meet their unusual guest.

"My name is Elenshaer. I'm here to find Harry Potter." His ears seemed to perk up when there was a rustle of noise behind him. What he could sort through had him turning to face the table that was now on his immediate left.

Strolling down to where he felt the power the strongest, Elenshaer stopped before that aura and looked down at the boy. Aristocratic features with flowing dark hair and a sturdy, powerful frame; the boy was definitely a High Elf – possibly a Dark Elf, what with his darker and more muscular features.

"Harry Potter?"

"Yes?"

The defiance in his eyes confirmed that Dark High Elf theory. With a smirk, Elenshaer spoke up. "Come with me," Pausing, he looked around the room and bent down to whisper in his ears, "And bring your mates too."

"Excuse me!" McGonagall said, walking around the head table. "But what business do you have with my student – s." She looked around to see Harry and three other girls stand up.

"I have business with him – nothing that concerns you."

"It _concerns_ me when you are taking _my_ students away."

Elenshaer reflected the Deputy Headmistress's concern. "As Harry is an elf, he clearly, no longer, falls under the wizarding jurisdiction."

The cat animagus looked fit to burst; her pursed lips a foreboding sign that warned the students of her imminent temper.

"Maybe we should speak about this in private," Hermione offered from behind Harry. Her eyes were peeking over the elf's tall frame. "Perhaps in the alcove beside the Great Hall?"

The student population watched with hawk eyes as the party of six walked out the door.

"Now what is it?" Acting Headmistress McGonagall asked after putting up the required wards. She felt a rush of power trickling from the elf as his own elven magic was used to create a more powerful ward around her own, solidifying any weak points that may appear.

"Who are you?" Harry asked. He had no clue who this stranger was, but he knew an elf when he saw one – considering he was one himself. But the elf before him did not make Harry feel like attacking him or feel the need to defend his mates.

"My name is Elenshaer. I am an Elder sent out for those who have received their elven inheritance away from _Alfheim_."

" _Alfheim_?" Susan asked.

"The Homeland of the Elves, connected to eight other worlds by _Yggdrasil_ , the World Tree." Minerva explained, voice filled with wonder and awe.

"Please, this is only for the ears of Harry Potter and his mates. . ." Elder Elenshaer trailed off as he stared at the three girls. He turned to Harry with furrowed brows. "Harry Potter, where are your mates?"

Harry furrowed his own eyebrows, "What do you mean? They're all here."

Elder Elenshaer shook his head, "You are missing three mates. Why have you kept them from this meeting? Have I already offended you so?"

Harry frowned, "These girls _are_ my mates; Hermione Granger, Susan Bones and Daphne Greengrass. I haven't found three more mates!"

Elder Elenshaer sighed, "For a powerful elf such as yourself, they will have multiple mates. The first mate is found through your thoughts of values that should be in your required mate – and seeing as how you are adamant that these three are your _only_ mates, I can assume that they are found through what values impressed you the most?"

Harry did not like how this elf had described how he picked his mate, but technically, it _was_ how he decided – along with some primal instinct in his elven self. "Yes. . . " He confirmed begrudgingly.

"Good. Now we are on the right track." Elder Elenshaer smiled. He let wisps of elven magic trickle from his body to touch at Harry's own magic. Happy that Harry's magic did not lash out, but embrace his own, helped solidify his findings. "Already I can feel how powerful you are, young one. I am not surprised that you have seven mates, yes?"

"How did you – "

"I read the _Daily Prophet,_ if that is what you though. Though it is composed of trashy news written by the mortals have no place in our world, there are a few facts that have confirmed my suspicions."

"So. . . about my three mates?"

"Ah yes," Elder Elenshaer said, getting back on track. "The three mates, of the four remaining ones, that are not here are sorted based more on your instincts. Rather than your so-called 'human self' deciding for you like your first three mates, the last four will be decided based on gut instinct. Now, are there any lucky ladies that you have felt more protective around? Any changes in how you behaved towards them?"

Harry looked lost in thought, missing the understanding looks in his three mates' faces.

"There are!" Hermione cried out. "You've been especially protective with Luna –"

"Especially?" Susan ribbed with humor. "She's practically glued to his side."

"Then there's Tonks – who came out of nowhere." Hermione continued.

"Not that we didn't like that," Susan reassured Harry. "It was just so sudden."

"And then. . . the only other girl you've been in contact with is Fleur – your letters I mean." Hermione clarified.

"Fleur?" Harry asked. "But you know we're only friends."

"Yes, but you can't say that it isn't true. You both send letters every day if possible." Susan confirmed. "We understand that you guys are friends, but you've only met her a couple of times – spoke to her during the second task and during winter vacation. You don't really know her like you do for us, yet after seeing her over the summer, you start writing letters back and forth after not talking for two years?"

"I guess you have your three girls." Daphne concluded, though there was something strange in her voice. "You just need to find your last lucky woman."

"Daphne...?" Harry asked tentatively.

The Ice Queen was crying, tears flowing from her eyes as it left tracks over her high cheekbones and down to her chin.

"Daphne, what's wrong?" Harry asked.

"It's you! It's always been you!" Daphne cried out. She lifted her head up and everyone could see the tears and anger in her eyes. Daphne looked nothing like the Ice Queen that she portrayed herself to be. "You've only just acknowledged me as your mate before Easter started! Now we come back a few weeks later and you have three other mates?! You haven't even _done_ anything with me! We barely talk now that we're back in school! I don't even know if I truly am your mate or not!"

"Daphne. . . " Harry's throat was suddenly lodged with something akin to regret and guilt. "I- I didn't mean for it- "

"I love you, Harry! I love you so much! And the funny thing is, you don't seem to realize that!" Daphne admitted through tears. "Did you know you saved me during second year? There was the time where I was cornered by Malfoy and his gits! Because my father did not accept his father's betrothal contract! That was during the basilisk incident! That same place that Justin Finch-Fletchley was found petrified – it was the same place that Draco and his goons had cornered me in! It was exactly fifteen minutes after that incident that Justin was found there! Do you know how close I was to being petrified? Not to mention killed?!"

"I-I didn't know that was you. It wouldn't have mattered." Harry said imploringly. He had paled when that same memory flashed before his eyes; he _had_ saved a blond Slytherin girl at that exact place, but he hadn't realized until now, that that had been Daphne. "You were being threatened. I had to help. Nothing else mattered – not even our house rivalries. I'm so sorry, Daphne. About everything."

But Daphne continued to rant her fears and worries. "I didn't think I'd like you at first! There was no affectionate interest – just curiosity! Why did the Golden Boy of Gryffindor save a Slytherin? It wasn't until I met Hermione and Susan that I truly understood. You save people because you believe they need help. You don't look at the results of the situation, but you go for the now. It took me awhile, but I realized that my interest had stemmed from my curiosity. It was so hard to put into words – how could it be? We were too different! We were in different _houses_ for Merlin's sake!"

"Daphne – " Harry made to move towards his mate, who now looked as if she was going to shatter into a million pieces.

Daphne moved away from his searching hands, wrapping her arms around her waist. "Don't – Just don't."

Hermione and Susan moved to her side, an arm around her shoulder and the other around her waist. "We'll talk to her."

The trio of girls walked over to the corner and privacy and silence wards were placed over them, buffering out any noise or sight.

"I assume your relationship with her is fairly new?" Elder Elenshaer commented.

"Yes. . . just about three weeks – if you can even say it was that long." Harry rubbed his face and ruffled his hair in frustration. "We're in different houses, but I promised her parents that I'd treat her like a princess – treat her like she deserved to be treated. But it's been three weeks and I'm more focused on intimately connecting with Tonks than with her. I'm such a failure."

The elven elder shook his head. "It is not your fault. An elven inheritance is unusually rare and occurs on one's seventeenth birthday. For you to have yours on your sixteenth shows how magically powerful you are. If you were to have your inheritance on your seventeenth birthday, an Elder would have arrived within the week. However, we have only recently realized that a member of the elven population is in the Wizarding World – and Harry Potter at that. And so, it was arranged for me to come and pick you and your mates up."

"Is that why you're here?"

"That and your tentative relationships with your mates are being pushed forward _because_ by this time last year, you were supposed to know much about our culture – enough to actually prepare mateships correctly – through elven standards." Elenshaer stated. "It is true that the wizards courting session is derived from our own courting standards – the full two weeks – but at the end of each courting session, both the dominant and submissive exchange gifts – something that is worn in public to acknowledge the completion and acceptance of courting. The continual donning of the gift until the engagement proclamation will then be accompanied by the engagement gift and then finally the marriage present."

Harry nodded his head. Then he furrowed his eyebrows. "And my family? What about them? Will they be coming with us?"

"Yes, your family too."

"My mates' families too?"

"Them as well."

"I'm not sure if they will come with us, but if they don't. Is there any other option?"

"It would be difficult to teach you our culture, traditions and laws by staying in the mortal world." Elder Elenshaer stated. "And time runs differently in the elven world. Two moons there to one moon here. Now, preparations must begin as soon as possible."

"I will go with you," Harry said. Then he turned to face the corner, "But the girls. . ."

…..

"Daphne, are you okay?" Susan asked.

"Have you kept this all bottled up inside of you? It's not good for you." Hermione chided gently.

"I don't need your disapproval right now." Daphne said bitterly. She wiped her eyes with her handkerchief and sighed. "The two of you are lucky. You get to go on dates with Harry. You get the full experience with him. A full two weeks of presents along with the right courting arrangement. But for me, we haven't done anything yet. Nothing intimate – nothing dramatic or heartwarming or blood boiling. Are you sure I'm his mate?"

Hermione and Susan swiftly reassured the Slytherin. "Of course! Did you see how rabid Harry got when he realized you got hurt? His instincts were on high alert and his elven side took over! He could have killed the boys but he chose to prevent them from any further injuries in hopes of saving you. True, Harry hasn't spent any time with you, but don't doubt his feelings. They are as genuine as the feelings are for us."

"I'm so sorry," Daphne sniffled, dabbing at the corners of her eyes. "I'm so selfish."

"No, don't ever think that." Hermione could help but scold. "I felt the same, but I had to hide my feelings for Harry for years."

"But what about that argument with Ron during the Yule Ball?" Susan asked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That was just him being jealous. Apparently, he had feelings for me, but had yet to recognize them and so, he directed his anger towards me going to the ball with Victor." Then she sighed dreamily. "You should have seen the look on Harry's face when he realized how I looked. It was like I blew the age old vision of myself out of his mind and created a completely different me."

Susan and Daphne shared twin smiles, "It was true. Everyone was shocked. You looked extremely beautiful that night."

"Thank you. So did you both! I hadn't had time to talk to you guys, but I'm glad that we all went together."

"So. . . is everything okay now, Daph?" Hermione asked.

The blond Slytherin sighed and nodded her head. She dried the rest of her tears and wiped off its tracks with her handkerchief, folding it into fourths before pocketing it once more. "Yes, I'm all right. I shouldn't put all the blame on Harry. I should have been more active towards our relationship as well."

"It's not you fault either." Susan said, rubbing her back soothingly. "I've felt the same as well, but I had to hide it from other people. I mean, really. With the two youngest Weasleys practically guarding Harry, I wouldn't be able to have a chance – no one would have a chance. I'm just glad that Harry had gotten out of their grasps."

With a simultaneous nod of agreement, the girls removed the wards and returned to Harry and Elenshaer.

…..

"Are you –" Harry began, but stopped when Hermione raised a hand.

Understanding the gesture, the Elder decided to move along the conversation. He told them what he had told Harry and asked about their decisions. And they seemed to accept the choice to go with Harry and the Elder.

"As soon as an elf finds his or her mate, they are driven by their instincts to consummate their bond. I'm sure you feel an itching…?" Elder Elenshaer did not to say anymore when he saw Harry agreeing.

"Now that you have recognized your potential mates, and have yet to choose your last, your need to complete the bond will be upon you. I would not be surprised if you have already decided to marry soon." Elder Elenshaer looked around at the young faces. "Well, have you?"

"Well, we were thinking of marriage after graduation, but it isn't uncommon that students are married during their second to last, or even their last, year of education." Susan explained.

The white haired elf smiled, clapping his hands together. "Good, because if young Harry here, had inherited his elven inheritance this year, it would've been proper to think about marriage in about a year. However, I do not think that Harry could wait another year."

"And where would the wedding take place?" Hermione asked.

The Elder blinked, "Why, at _Alfheim_ , of course."

"But what about here, in the Wizarding World?" Susan asked.

"Or even the muggle world?" Hermione added.

"Those… are possible venues for your wedding," Elenshaer said, frowning. "But would you not want to have the blessings of the High King himself?"

Harry sighed in relief, "Good, with my luck, I thought I'd end up being the ruler or something."

Elder Elenshaer coughed, "You don't understand how you received an inheritance so rare, do you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Inheritances are inherited through blood, which means your grandparents could have been elves or your parents could have been elves." Hermione supplied.

"But your grandfather Charlus Potter and Dorea Black had no elven blood in them." Professor McGonagall mentioned.

Elenshaer dismissed her claims, and faced Harry. "In your case, your grandfather is the High King. Therefore, he will be attending your wedding."

Harry groaned, "Just my luck."

"How did that happen?"

"Our world was filled with war and strife during High King Orelon's early ascendance to the throne. His late father, High King Ainésilver, had died, finishing the war after a blow to our enemies." Elenshaer explained. "With a bit of unrest still remaining in _Alfheim_ , the High King sent his daughter into the human world."

"And the Queen…?" Hermione asked, tentatively.

"She died in childbirth – but the Princess's name is Liluth."

"And his daughter…"

"I believe the muggles called her, Lily Evans?"

"So, my grandfather is still alive?"

"Very much so," Elenshaer said in an affronted tone. "He has done so much for our kind! We now live in peace! When High King Orelon realized that his daughter had died, yet his grandson was still alive, he sent out forces to retrieve you, but he could never find you."

"The wards," Hermione said, with an understanding. "The so-called 'Blood wards' that Dumbledore insisted would hide you from Voldemort. Instead, almost every magical being or thing possible – with the exception of Dobby or Hedwig or Pigwidgeon, of course, could not enter your home unless invited."

"I have family," Harry whispered, stumbling backwards. Professor McGonagall conjured up a chair for him and his three mates help him sit.

"So when do we visit _Alfheim_?" Daphne asked, running her fingers through Harry's hair. It didn't matter that the two had to work out their situation, but Harry needed her comfort now.

"As soon as possible." Elder Elenshaer declared. "We must plan for your wedding as well!

"Summer vacation starts June 20th." Professor McGonagall said. "They can leave then."

The elder seemed to ponder on it, "Very well. In about two months, we shall head to _Alfheim_. I will see you then. I have much to prepare for. I shall return on June 20th."

"You can't just leave us hanging like this!" Harry protested, "What did you mean about a wedding?"

Elenshaer raised a perfectly trimmed white eyebrow. "Very well. You shall have a wedding this year. Whomever your mates shall be, we shall do it whenever possible – as soon as possible. Can't wait too long, your instincts to consummate the bond is already coming to the forefront."

Harry's mind drifted back to the Valentine's Day where he was sorely regretting not taking Hermione then, yet it all makes sense if he had to have a ceremony with the High King in order to get his blessings first. "Is there anything else you have yet to tell us?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"In fact, there is," the Elder smirked, "As for other news, a ball is held for each family of royalty when they reach the age of seventeen – as it would mean they would come into their elven inheritance. Yours will have to be planned a year ahead, but it will be doable."

Harry swallowed. A ball? That would mean in front of people, and Harry _did not_ like being in public. "Isn't there any way the ball doesn't have to go on?"

Elenshaer looked aghast, "You are of royal blood! Attending your elven inheritance ball is a must! Surely you don't wish to break tradition, do you?"

With that business finished, Elder Elenshaer bowed his head and left the alcove, leaving the four students agog, and the Deputy Headmistress to rejoin Hogwarts' curious onlookers.

…..

A/N:


	14. Preparations

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

Chapter 14

~ Preparations ~

"A wedding," Harry said with disbelief.

"We have to plan a wedding within the year?" Susan asked, looking fearfully towards her boyfriend and two friends.

"A ball is being prepared," Harry added.

"You're not scared are you?" Hermione asked teasingly, though her face was a bit pale in color.

Harry shrugged his shoulders, "That amongst other things. You?"

Susan shook her head, "Not at all. But, how are we going to plan a wedding in such a short amount of time? And with whom is Harry going to marry first?"

"I think it should be Hermione." Daphne piped up, ignoring Harry's inquisitive glance. "They've known each other far longer than either Susan and I have; and, they're already engaged. So, it's best to sort things out in order as it comes."

"I think we're all forgetting something," The Hufflepuff announced, "Harry's still got to find his last mate."

"Do you know who it is?" Daphne frowned.

The elf shook his head, "Not at all, but when I do, I'll tell you." He promised, lightly squeezing the pale hand in his. The blonde Slytherin offered a small smile, turning her head to join in on the excited squeals coming from the rest of her female friends.

"Oh! A wedding!" Hermione gasped, "I have to write to mum and dad about this!"

Rushing off, the Gryffindor left her fiancé with his other two mates – two of which were staring at Harry blandly.

"Well? Aren't you going to tell your other three mates that they _are_ your mates?" Daphne asked drolly.

"You don't mind?" Harry winced.

Daphne sighed, "Look Harry. It's both our faults for not being proactive in assuming our relationship status. On the contrary, it would be hypocritical of me to deny you access to the rest of your mates when both you and I know that you have three out there who needs to know about this _and_ how this will change their lives. Plus, you still have to look for one last mate."

Harry confidently drew the blond in for a hug, kissing the breath out of her. "Thank you Daphne. And I promise, no matter who stands with us, I'll always make time for you."

Daphne smirked, "That's the first step you should take." She turned around and walked towards her table, "And don't forget an apology gift, the next time we meet, Harry. And I want to have the most fun at your elven inheritance ball."

"I'll see you later, Harry," giggled Susan, pecking her boyfriend on the cheek. "And remember what Daphne said!"

"Wait, Susan!" The Hufflepuff gave a small squeak before she was wrapped within Harry's strong arms. "I know this is quick, and we've only known each other for a few months – dated for even less, but I was wondering if you'd marry me?"

"What a way to propose." Susan said after a moment of silence. She watched Harry fidget, enjoying his anxiousness. "Very well. Where's the ring?"

Harry let out a breath of relief before kneeling down and pulling a ring box out from his pocket. "What?" He asked, seeing Susan giggling.

"How long have you been carrying that around?" She asked, stifling her laughter.

"I asked Dobby to bring it a week after the Easter holidays." Harry informed her, opening the ring box. "You know, that day I disappeared for a couple of minutes? House elves can apparate through any wards."

"Yes," Susan mused, "You were quite nervous back then too; never spoke about why you left for so long."

"I had Winky deliver a letter to Madame Bones as well. She gave us her blessings, but she was worried that we might be rushing. "Harry slipped the ring onto her finger and brushed his lips over it. "It looks perfect. I'm glad." He watched Susan lift her hand to admire the accessory.

"It's beautiful," She whispered. "Is this –"

Harry nodded his head, standing up and wrapping his arms around her once more. "It's the Peverell ring. I had it adjusted only a little bit."

"A little?" Susan smiled and stared lovingly at him, "It's beautiful," She repeated.

It was a two-toned split-shank engagement ring made from both white and yellow gold, with a combination of channel and pave settings. Duo bands of 1-carat blue moonstones and amentrines led to the center stone, a 3-carat, translucent round cut black diamond, with the Deathly Hallows engraved within the stone.

"So, when shall we have our wedding?" Susan asked, peering up at Harry.

"Since I'm marrying Hermione in the summer, shall we have our wedding in the winter?"

"Perfect! I've always wanted a winter wedding!"

"Great. Then we have a little over six months to plan our wedding. That's more time than just using half that time for Hermione and my wedding." Harry said with relief. Then he stiffened up, voice filling with dread, "I have to find one more mate…"

Susan laughed once more before rushing off towards Hannah, who sat waiting patiently for her best friend. She had so much to tell her!

"Lord Potter-Black? How are you doing with all of this?" Professor McGonagall asked tentatively.

"I'm brilliant, actually." Harry smiled, heart warming at his Head of House's kindness. "I found out that I'm nearly done with finding my mates; I've got family waiting for me _and_ I'm the luckiest man alive with the girls that already love me and the family and friends that support me."

Ending on a strong note, Harry marched off towards his seat besides Neville who was chatting excitedly with Luna, and began to fill his plate. Whispers were already being spread when the students matched Harry's smile to Susan's vibrant and exuberant excitement, seeing the light glinting off of the engagement ring sitting proudly on her ring finger.

Minerva McGonagall shook her head fondly, smiling softly when she saw how brilliantly Harry shone during his dialogue. Returning to her seat at the head table, she deflected all inquiries about their sudden guest and motioned for the students to continue their lunch, warning them that, "There is only twenty minutes left," to their meal.

…..

Elder Elenshaer entered _Alfheim_ at a casual pace. The journey wasn't as long as many had made it out to be – the journey from _Yggdrasil_ to the mortal realms and back. What with his abilities, it only took about five minutes. However, the entrance of _Alfheim_ to His Majesty's palace was a different story.

Elenshaer enjoyed the travel there. Their realm was rich with green lands, blooming meadows, ample forests and thriving fields. The air was clean and pure, compared to that of the mortal world. And though the weather was similar to that of the mortals' realm, there weren't any elves that scorned Mother Nature's dominion.

He soon reached His Majesty's prosperous town, flowing with wealth after nearly three decades' worth of liberation from war. The market flowed with merchants and merchandises from far away and from towns over. Children ran around in _Sinhyth_ , a warm and rich material only those in their kingdom wore. [1]

"Good afternoon, Elder Elenshaer." A passing mother greeted, gently tugging her husband along beside her.

"Good afternoon, childe." The elderly elf smiled.

Greetings were given and received as he made his way up to the palace.

Pretty soon, High King Orelon would have his grandson back and with Harry, wives and in the future, grandchildren. Elenshaer hid a smile on his face and proceeded towards the drawbridge.

Even from thirty feet away, Elenshaer could see the palace guards working around the clock, protecting their king from any enemies. Elves of all color, height and size rushed in and out of the castle's drawbridge, minding their steps as water droplets fell from openings in the wall and landed in the rushing stream.

He reached into his sleeves and pulled out His Majesty's insignia, showing it to the palace guards before stowing it away and walking towards the throne room.

Elenshaer knocked on the door and waited for the, "Come in," before entering. The white haired elf waited patiently for High King Orelon to finish his current scroll.

"I was wondering when I'd hear from you," Orelon sat back and folded his hands. "What of my grandson?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The Elder bowed and gave a quick report before handing off a folder filled with the seven identification papers. "These are his current mates; he has yet to choose his last mate. However, they have agreed to get married in the Wizarding World before coming to _Alfheim_ for another ceremony."

"And how are they to arrange such circumstances throughout the year with the rest of his mates?" Orelon asked, reading through the paperwork.

"I will have updating reports sent to me by the end of each week. As of now, I've found that he is now engaged to Miss Susan Bones – his second mate."

"And their wedding?"

"During their Winter holidays."

"Push for his visit to be the day before the Winter Solstice and his ceremony on the exact date."

"Of course."

"Is there anything else?"

"There shouldn't be. I will report as soon as anything changes."

"Thank you, Elenshaer."

"Not at all, Your Majesty."

The High King watched as one of his trusted companions leave his office before spreading the documents out onto his table. Picking up on the one with his grandson's picture on it, he stroked the picture reverently, memories reminding him of how Harry's eyes looked distinctly like his mother's – only bigger and brighter.

Soon, he would see his grandson.

Soon, he would see Harry.

…..

Hermione's parents had written back. Daniel was a bit furious that they'd had to push up their wedding. After all, his little girl wasn't supposed to marry until she was at least thirty, but Jessica had sorted him out and had wished Hermione the best, already helping her daughter plan out everything for her little girl's wedding.

Nothing was too good for her daughter and it helped that Harry had written to them that he would cover any and all expenses. He'd given them an unlimited card from Gringotts, linked to his vaults, accessible to only the Grangers. That he'd done so showed that Harry had trusted them explicitly, and for that, they were touched.

Harry and his girls had kept contact with Elder Elenshaer, and under Harry's grandfather's decree, the teen was to have his wedding first in _Alfheim_ , before having one in the magical world. Therefore, their wedding ceremony in _Alfheim_ would occur on July 24th – following the Celtic Calendar, the start of _Lughnasadh_. The wedding in the magical world would occur in August 7th, the end of _Lughnasadh_. This allowed Harry a week to relax before his birthday and a week after his birthday to prepare for his second wedding with Hermione.

Harry was currently sitting in his private dorm, cohabiting with the rest of his girls, as he wrote out the invitations for each individual guest. His hand was getting cramped, but he needed to finish this before he sent them off. It wouldn't do to procrastinate, especially an event of this caliber. The entirety of the Wizarding World would be coming to see this event – and his other future weddings, but the weddings in _Alfheim_ were strictly for family and those he would invite.

When he was finished with his current set, he placed the quill down and stretched his arms, feeling the bones crack after long hours of being set in place.

"Do you need help?" Daphne asked, placing a cup of tea onto the table, far away from the invitations.

Looking up at the blond, Harry smiled and gently pulled her down, kissing the back of her hand. "I'd love to spend some time with you. Though, I'm uncertain that writing invitations is a romantic way to spend the time."

Daphne's tinkling laughter warmed his heart. "As long as I'm with you, I don't mind what we're doing."

Their relationship was on the mend and they were growing strong. The past month had allowed for a closer bond between the two, especially after Daphne had moved into Harry's dorms with the rest of the girls. Even though Daphne knew that Luna, Tonks and Fleur had finally known of their status as Harry's mates – and they were quite ecstatic with that fact, and very honored for that privilege – Daphne was able to spend a lot of time with her boyfriend.

Together, they continued on with their tedious task. It wouldn't do to miss one person for fear of offending them. Not that Harry cared. Even though Harry was the most magically powerful, most wealthy and most politically powerful person in the magical world, he still needed to make friends with everyone else – preferably not those who only kissed up to him because of his fame, fortune and status, but allies nonetheless.

"Is an invitation written out to the media?" Daphne asked. She took out her wand and cast an ink-drying spell onto the gold and floral designed invitation before placing the card to the side.

Harry shook his head, "I don't want to, but I have to. However, I have limited the personnel to three from each business."

"Spell the invitations to any of the three that accepts so they cannot turn your day into something derogatory," Daphne advised, reaching for another bottle of ink.

"Why limit the spell casting to just that?" Harry grinned. He set aside the invitation he'd finished before pulling the ones written out to the media. Murmuring elven enchantments, he spelled the invitations and the duo watched as it glowed red, blue and green before dying down.

Daphne had never seen it before, and so it was with an intrigued tone that she asked, "What was that?"

"A spell to make sure only the truth is written; a spell to prevent any other personnel from arriving in their place, _once_ the three guests have been named. The last one is to allow said guests to enter our wards, _if_ they carry our invitation. But of course, there's already magic to prevent any forgery of the invites."

"And if they were to forget?" Susan asked.

"Well, tough luck. They're not getting onto the property."

"Speaking of property, which one are you going to use?" Daphne inquired. "Or would you rather use an establishment for your wedding? I'm sure any business would gladly welcome Lord Potter as their client."

"I'd like to use the Potter Manor," Harry said, pushing aside the media's invitations. "However, I've got several manors to use. I'm sure it would surprise them to get invited to either Salazar's Castle or Godric's Castle, or even Merlin's Castle and LeFey's Castle."

"And you have yet to decide where the venue will be?" Daphne's rhetorical question was accompanied by her tinkling laughter, which was soon joined by those standing at his doorway.

"Oh, Harry. You sneaky, sneaky Slytherin." Susan smiled.

Hermione couldn't disagree, "Just think. Inviting all those guests to the most ancient of homes, only to deny them access because they are only _guests_ and none of our relations or even close to us."

"I think it would be best to marry us where our surnames will be changed to." Luna said. "That way, we all get a venue and now you don't have to choose the location and have other worries to go about with. You could even add a Fidelius Charm and rework it so the guests with the invitations will leave without the knowledge of where the Manors are, and only with what took place."

Taking Luna's consideration into account, Harry thanked the blond before he pulled Hermione close and gave her a quick kiss. "How are preparations? It's not interrupting your academics, is it?" His other hand reached for Luna's and the young blond happily allowed his touch, relishing in the warmth of the skin on skin contact.

Hermione shook her head, "No. I'm right on reviews now. The tests are in three weeks and our daily study sessions helped enormously."

"Good," Harry nodded his head. "There's nothing more important that your grades."

"I disagree," Susan frowned. "A girl's most important day is her wedding, but that's besides the point. Hermione's already smart enough to pass her end-of-year exams with all O's. You don't have to worry."

"Don't worry about our grades. We can keep them up," Daphne smiled, patting her boyfriend's hand lovingly. "Everything is going according to plan. The invitations should be sent out by the end of the week and we only have a quarter left to write."

"Hedwig's going to be happy with all the flying. I think I've kept her cooped up for too long." Harry grinned.

…..

As next week rolled by, gossip was a near daily thing for the students as eyes pinned upon Harry's form. Sneers were directed at Hermione, Susan and Daphne, but no one dared to go against them for fear of invoking the striking power of the Potter-Black family.

That still didn't stop a few foul and scathing remarks about the girls, from passing through the school's grapevine. It definitely didn't stop the female population from trying to throw themselves into Harry's face. They all wished to become a part of the prestigious family, but no one knew that there was only one spot left.

There had been a missive from Ginny, whom written that she was extremely and sincerely sorry for her actions against Harry's person. Though Harry had forgiven her, he would not forget and the restraining order was still in effect, so Ginny _had_ to keep her distance.

…..

Their end-of-the-year exams signified the end of their sixth year, and in Luna's case, her fifth year. The few days after their exam, Katie had returned.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm a lot better now," Katie smiled at Harry's attentiveness. Those bright green eyes of his roamed her body, looking for any other injuries even though it had been a small bit of her finger that had touched the cursed necklace. "I need to repeat my seventh year, but I'm not upset about it."

"That's great! Not about repeating your last year, but –" Harry shrugged after frowning. "Katie –"

"I know you're going to ask me Harry, but I don't know who cursed me. I've been trying to remember, honestly. But I just can't." She gave him a small smile, freezing when something caught her attention.

"Katie?" Harry looked around before calling her name once more. She seemed to be remembering something and another look around had his eyes pinned on the guilty person, who instantly rushed off having seen them together.

"I'll see you later, Katie. Have a nice summer." He called out, brushing past several students. He turned around to check on the girl before seeing her being pulled away by her seventh year friends.

…..

The student rushed through the halls, robes billowing behind them. Ignoring all the curious glances thrown towards their person, the student hastened their steps as Harry shouted, "Stop that person!"

Soon, everyone was trying to grab at the uniform, the robes. Any part of the fifth year that the others could reach soon halted the girl as she was turned around and thrown forward onto the floor.

"Thanks." Harry nodded curtly, turning to look at the fifth year.

Murmurs swept through the hall as Harry confronted his housemate. A large circle formed around them, the memory of seeing Harry throwing a boy who was at least twice his weight, into the air prevented them from moving closer.

"Why did you do it?"

"I didn't think it would turn out like that." The fifth year whimpered, blue eyes darting to each face in the audience, silently imploring them to help in any way, but no assistance was given.

"Why did you do it?!" Harry roared, teeth bared, nails as sharp as claws with his magical aura permeating the air they breathed. It was so heavy that some lingering first years had stumbled to their knees.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt Katie!" Ginny cried, arms in front of her face to fend off Harry's anger. "It wasn't for Katie! It never was supposed to be her!"

"Hermione then," Harry reasoned, growling darkly as he circled his prey. There shouldn't be – _no_ , Harry shook his head– there _was_ no other person that this bitch would go after. "The necklace was for Hermione then. If she had received it when I wasn't around, she'd believed it was me whom had given it to her."

Ginny turned her head, and Harry snorted. It seemed as if he hadn't taught her well enough in the D.A. last year.

You were never supposed to take your eyes off of your opponent.

"Harry!"

Even the calls of his name from his mates did not deter him from his goal. He needed to kill this pest, this insignificant worm. He would get rid of this potential danger – no, she was already considered a danger.

She had tried to harm his mate – was so close. But, she _would_ harm a mate if Harry allowed her to continue living.

"Harry James Potter! Listen to me at once!"

Harry paused and his eyes pinned his fiancée, "Hermione," His voice rumbled.

"Now what is this all about? To think you'd run off after telling me you'd meet up with Katie and see how she's doing."

" _She's_ the reason why Katie was cursed," Harry spat, pointed a finger in Ginny's direction. Her fallen position did not gain any sympathy from anyone – especially not the Gryffindor house after the truth had fallen from Harry's lips. "Katie spent near five months in St. Mungo's, _five months_ , and you want me to let this vermin get away with it?!"

Ginny sobbed quietly, hiding her face in her hands. No one was supposed to get hurt, especially not Katie. Only stupid Granger was supposed to get it! Why didn't Katie enter the Three Broomsticks before they left?! It was such an opportune time!

In the blink of an eye, Ginny was hovering a good three feet in the air, fingers scrambling for purchase as her wide and frightened blue eyes took in a snarling Harry.

"You don't think I can hear your thoughts?" He snapped. "You have a lot of learning to do, but that won't happen when you're _dead_." He threw her body over the heads of the students and felt nothing when she tumbled down a short flight of stairs.

He stalked after her and the students followed, eyes wide with shock, awe and a variety of expressions as the Boy-Who-Lived tracked the redhead. It was like nothing they'd seen before, but they couldn't take their eyes away from the scene.

When Harry gracefully walked down the steps to where the fifth year Gryffindor was struggling to get up, it was as if they were looking at a god descending from the heavens to meet with a mortal – a dastardly evil mortal, no less.

They knew that Ginny would get her punishment. It was already an unwritten law that anyone who harmed Harry and his friends would have to deal with Harry himself.

"Mr. Potter! You will desist at once!" Professor McGonagall shouted.

Quick as a flash, the elf whipped around and bared his teeth, roaring in anger and turning his back on the witch. Harry had his eyes pinned on the threat. It had harmed someone precious to him.

He had to kill it. Rip it to pieces. Tear it to shreads.

Kill it. Rip it. Tear it.

 _ **Kill**_. _**Rip**_ **.** _ **Tear**_ **.**

He sauntered down the steps, watching with emotionless eyes as his prey attempted to get to its knees. One swift kick and the body fell down another flight of steps, rolling a few feet away from the staircase, groaning in pain.

The elf ignored all the gasps of horror and the elderly witch's alarmed, "MR. POTTER!"

"H-Harry, Ha-rry please."

"You hurt my mate." the elf purred, his voice as smooth as silk. "It's only fair that I return the favor."

"Pl-ease, p-please, Harry! I didn't hurt her! I didn't do anything!" Ginny sobbed, choking as her ribs ached with unbearable pain. She wrapped one arm around her torso and pushed to kneel with the other. "This isn't like you. If they weren't with you, if you were with _me_ – you wouldn't act like this!"

"My _mates_ are better than you ever will be."

"OPEN YOUR EYES!" She cried shrilly. Speckles of blood spat from her mouth; sweat beaded her forehead and her eyes were wet with tears. "YOU'RE BEING BLINDED BY YOUR ELVEN SIDE! DON'T LET THAT FILTHY BLOOD OVERRIDE YOU! YOU'RE A HUMAN! YOU'RE A WIZARD!"

Harry snarled and Ginny went flying against the stonewall, coughing up blood when she hit her spine and felt her ribs just about crack under the pressure. The bump on her head pulsed in furious pain.

"Never dishonor my mates, you filthy _ittee_. [2]"

"Please, please, please Harry." Ginny pleaded, crawling over to the elf. She grabbed at his boots, but her attempt was thwarted when Harry moved away. She cried, tears intermingling with blood that flowed from her mouth.

Harry turned around and his eyes practically lit the staircase on fire. There were other opponents in front of him; a few elderly, a few younger, tall short, thin, plump. They wished to take his prey away. But no – he would never allow it to happen. His head turned away, even as his hand batted away the spells that came flying towards him.

He would kill the danger to his mate, to his family. No one was going to stop him.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

The elf froze, his leg frozen half way in an attempt to stomp down hard onto the leg directly in front of him. His pointed ears twitched and he made to move again.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

Lips twitching, Harry slowly turned around, seeing his mates running down to him – all _six_ mates.

"'Zis is not like you, 'Arry!" Fleur cried. She had been plucked from her office in Gringotts without so much as a by your leave, but the goblins had not stopped her abduction. Only on their way through Hogwarts did the blond Veela get the gist of things.

Luminescent green eyes eyed each of his six mates. Compared to the other girls, Tonks looked a lot well kept than ever. Perhaps it was due to her Auror training. The other girls looked like they had run a marathon – perhaps it was due to the direness of the situation that had prompted them to move so quickly?

Harry relished in his elf's hatred of the _N`Tel`Quess_ lying behind him. [3] He was so close; his elf could almost feel his prey's breath diminishing. All he had to do was wipe it out and no one would dare harm his family. It was an insignificant being and his human had let it live, thinking it wouldn't harm his heart, but it did and it would pay.

Yes, that sounded like a nice plan.

"Harry James Potter! Don't you dare turn away from us!" Luna ordered, her dreamy like tone turned to stone. Her sharp grey eyes had picked up Harry slightly turning away from them.

"I'll kill her," He promised to them, turning around to face the girl that dared to crawl away when he had turned his back.

"I-If you kill her, I won't speak to you ever again!" Hermione's demand echoed through the stairwell.

The students' expressions ranged from shock to disbelief. _This_ was the only punishment she could think of to stop an enraged elf? To stop the Boy-Who-Defeated-You-Know-Who-Twice?

Harry paused, eyes dilated in surprise. He turned around and looked at his _m_ _î_ _n-chev_. [4]

"You would deny me the right to kill the one that dares harm you, _n_ _î_ _n mel_?" [5] He tilted his head in curiousness. "Does she deserve to live? She has attempted to harm us since day one. We have to save our enemy? I do not understand your logic."

"I understand that you're trying to protect us, Harry." Hermione said carefully. "But Katie isn't dead." Harry's fingers twitched. "I'm not hurt. No one is."

"Katie was in St. Mungo's for five months," Harry looked at her incredulously. He pointed a clawed finger in Ginny's direction. "Does this _xhan_ deserve mercy when she thinks not of others?" [6]

"Everyone deserves mercy."

Harry snapped his teeth at her.

"Don't you dare behave like that towards me," Hermione chastised. "I admit that she doesn't deserve to live," She ignored the proud grin on her fiancé's face. "However, we will let the Wizengamot decide her sentence."

"I am an elf!" Harry growled. "How dare you presume to let _mortals_ decide whether or not my enemies will fall by my hand?"

"Am I not your mate, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," Harry pursed his lips. He turned around and quickly caught his prey's ankle. She had been slowly crawling away from his proximity. "Move and I'll snap it like a twig."

Ginny whimpered and ceased to move. Harry grunted before giving his mates his full attention.

"Am I not a witch?" Hermione continued. "Is Katie not a witch?"

"Yes, you both are…"

"Then you should let the Wizengamot decide her fate. I understand that you are an elf, and our mate. However, she has wronged us – witches, mortals – whatever you wish to call us. And so it is with witches and wizards that Ginny's fate will be sealed."

Seconds ticked by as everyone watched Harry think. His green eyes would flick back to the fifth year caught in his hand before his attention was pulled away, whenever his mates would step towards him.

"And if her sentence is not enough?" He finally asked.

Daphne's eyes looked to her Gryffindor counterpart. If Hermione didn't make it sound persuasive, Weasley's life would be quickly snuffed out.

"It will be." The bushy-haired Gryffindor announced.

Harry grumbled and tightened his grip, earning a whimper from Ginny. Turning his attention to the fifth year, he grumbled, "You better hope for your life it is."

He threw the girl at the feet of his mates and stepped over her, walking through the path paved before him as the students parted like waves. His mates hurried to catch up to him, allowing the professors and Madam Pomfrey to do their job of healing the fifteen-year-old.

…..

Within the confines of their room did Harry allow his anger to release. His magic went haywire, throwing about furniture, tearing up the wallpaper and carpeting. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling exploded, showing the elf in sparkling glass. The books were torn apart and the windows erupted outwardly, showing Hogwarts grounds with glass. Surprisingly, the burning flames did not jump from the fireplace, something the girls were thankful for when they threw up physical shields to protect themselves.

"Are you finished yet?" Luna asked, her voice breaking the tension in their dorms.

Harry huffed and waved a hand. Everything in their dormitory was fixed in an instant. The girls were slightly surprised by the display of wandless and wordless magic, but it was Harry – the boy who lived to do the impossible.

Luna was the first to skip up to her mate, allowing Harry to pull her into his arms and holding her close.

"It's all right, Harry. Everyone's here for you."

The girls enveloped him, touching him any place they could to relieve the elf of the tension. Feeling his mates around him, Harry relaxed. Yet, there was still a small niggling feeling that proved to Harry he still needed one last mate to feel complete.

"I'm sorry," He spoke up.

"It's all right, Harry." Susan whispered.

Daphne nodded her head, "I would've done a lot worse. Maybe not out in public, but if it was for vengeance…"

Tonks and Fleur, the only two mates older than the rest, rolled their eyes at the statement. Hermione merely laid her head onto Harry's shoulder in silent comfort.

"Let us forget about this. We're leaving for home soon. Let's start to pack. I'm sure we don't want to rush tomorrow morning."

Harry touched each of his mates before walking up to his room, leaving the girls to stare at him.

…..

"Will 'e be all right?" Fleur asked, worriedly. She wanted to rush after her mate, but none of the younger girls were making a move.

"Harry usually wants to be alone," Hermione explained, but Fleur and Tonks looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

"You have a lot to learn, Granger." Tonks said, no heat spilling onto her words. The metamorphmagus nodded her head towards the Veela and the two walked up to Harry's room.

"Now, now." Luna said, seeing Hermione's confused face. "Everyone needs some sort of comfort even when they're alone. Didn't you tell us that you felt even more awful when no one came for you when Ronald made fun of you back in first year?"

Hermione bit her lip and nodded her head.

Susan stood up and pulled her Gryffindor counterpart up by the hand. "Well then. What are we doing standing around here for? Let's go!"

The four students walked up towards Harry's room and entered to see Fleur and Tonks laying their heads on Harry's shoulder. There were no words spoken when the other four joined the trio, but everyone could see Harry feeling a lot better than before.

It was then that they realized that Harry believed they would feel disgusted with his torturous acts on the Weasley chit – even if she had been one of their friends. But none of them were. They all accepted him as an elf and even silently comforted him through little touches on the back of his hand and caresses on his back and pats on the head.

The seven of them would soon removed themselves from one another after a few hours time, heading to the Great Hall for dinner where murmurs, whispers and gossiping would occur. But the seven of them would ignore it.

Katie Bell would eventually thank Harry for fighting in her steed, even if it was mostly to protect Hermione, but Harry would smile and graciously accept her thanks. The day would end with the six girls joining Harry in his twice-enlarged bed, sleeping away the day with smiles on their faces.

…..

A/N: Okay, this chapter was _pretty_ short. But I didn't know what else to add to it. I wanted to show the more elven side of Harry, considering the past few chapters were mostly of him as a wizard, with a few hints of elven traits.

A/N: Hopefully, the upcoming chapter will be a lot longer! I will strive to make it a little longer! Thank you for coming with me this far. Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!

* Yggdrasil – The World Tree that connects the nine worlds

*[1] _Sinhyth_ (Sin-hu-th) – a thick material used to make cloaks for the winter

*[2] _Ittee_ (It-teh) – whore

*[3] _N`Tel`Quess_ – Non-Person or Non-Elven

*[4] _M_ _î_ _n-Chev_ (min-ker) – first mate

*[5] _N_ _î_ _n mel_ (niin-mel) – my love

*[6] _Xhan_ (zan)– bitch


	15. Alfheim

Title: Finding a Family

Author: Crimson Rosary

Summary: All is good after Voldemort's demise, but then comes Harry's magical and creature inheritance. Now he has to do what in order to accomplish what?! Manipulative!Dumbledore, Molly, Ron, Ginny Bashing!

Pairing: HPxHarem

Rating: M

Author's Note: This is my first HPxHarem story! Please leave comments whenever possible – please be specific about where in the chapter you felt a certain place was weird or didn't understand something! It would be really helpful! Also, if you don't like HPxHarem, click the little back button in your browser or click the red X at the corner! Thanks! (:

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from Harry Potter; all those belong to J.K. Rowling.

' _Thoughts_ '

 _{Parseltongue}_

[ **Telepathy** ]

Chapter 15

~ Alfheim ~

"Why were we invited, Harry?"

The Gryffindor turned and smiled, "Because, it would be a perfect way to prove that we've really changed and I wanted to share something like this, with you guys."

The Slytherins standing there looked awkward, but with a haughty mightier-than-thou expression on their face. Theo, Blaise, and Draco were invited to Harry's elven wedding ceremony in _Alfheim_. Severus was already a decided guest because the dour man had helped Harry with his inheritance; plus, Harry had decided that Severus would become an elf. Harry didn't think his grandfather would mind if someone of Severus's caliber would become an immortal.

"So, this is just to prove something?" Theo asked. Even if they were a bit suspicious, who wouldn't have wanted to be invited to an _elven_ ceremony in an _elven_ world? This would surely rocket their popularity and status back in the Wizarding World when they've returned. Not to mention, they'd also accepted an invitation to the Potter-Granger wedding and the upcoming weddings.

"You Slytherins think too much on benefits and consequences," Harry rolled his eyes, "Think of this as just a vacation or a holiday – or even just to celebrate a friend's wedding."

Severus gave Harry a hard look, wondering why _he_ was invited. He'd bullied the poor boy for many years, yet the Gryffindor took no offense and was quite amiable with him this year.

"You deserve it, Severus. You've helped me through my inheritance and you were my mum's best friend. My father apologized for bullying you all those years, and I really hope that you can see you deserve more than the past you've had. I'll make sure of it."

Severus was still a bit suspicious.

Harry sighed good-naturedly, "Honestly, Severus, think of all the herbs you can find in _Alfheim_ or the ointments and cures that elves use. Think of this like an excursion with an invitation to a wedding as a side-event."

The potions master's eyes widened at the numerous possibilities to expand his potions repertoire with that sentence. However, it wasn't until Fawkes had settled onto the newly deemed Headmaster's shoulder did Severus give Harry a long look and nodded his head, "Thank you, Harry."

Fawkes trilled with pleasure as if it had been his idea the entire time.

"Is everyone ready?" Elder Elenshaer asked. His blue eyes overlooked all the mortals standing in the foyer.

"How long exactly, are we staying there?" Hermione fretted. "We need to get back to confirm all details for our wedding in two weeks."

The fair-haired elf merely smiled. "Have no fear. You will return in time for your wedding. Besides, are your winged friends not of use?"

The fair-haired elf gestured to Hedwig and Fawkes. Both of them puffed out their chests as if given the highest honor.

"I suppose we could send Hedwig and Fawkes on deliveries, though I wouldn't understand how that would work between realms…"

"Does your fiery phoenix familiar not travel through realms?" The question was asked with such an incredulous tone that had Hermione grasping for knowledge of all things phoenix.

"Do they?" Remus inquired, his mind already whirling with information.

"But of course," Elder Elenshaer looked insulted at the thought. "Perhaps, it is because your phoenix friend had been long chained to that hideous creature, which incurred his inability to inter-dimension travel. Now that he has chosen his bonder freely, his powers should have been restored."

The look on Elenshaer's face when everyone else's was blank with shock nearly had the elf reeling with laughter. But he couldn't do that; not in front of his Highness, certainly not while he was an Elder.

"Highness, phoenixes are known to be mystical and powerful creatures. Surely inter-dimensional travelling would have crossed your mind as one of their skills?"

"This is brilliant!" Hermione beamed, "I hope the library has more information about phoenixes. I'd love to learn more about them." Even the rest of their entourage looked eager to learn more.

"But of course," The elf reassured. "Unlike that dratted mortal, we elves pride ourselves in knowledge and wisdom through all ages. No knowledge is withheld should the need to know or learn arise."

"You wouldn't mind if we made preparations as this ceremony takes place?" Harry quickly cut in, raising an eyebrow. He loved Hermione very much; however, Harry also knew how Hermione would get once she clung onto something she wanted to know more about. There was no way they would get to _Alfheim_ within the day should they continue on this way.

"Correct. Your wedding in the mortal world is just as important to you as this wedding ceremony is for us."

"Oh! That's perfect!" Hermione beamed. "We have so much to do and so little time to do them."

"Perhaps that would be for the best," the elf advised. He knew what the witch was referring to.

"Yes…" Hermione bit her lip nervously, eyeing the two Gryffindors in mind.

"Now, none of that." Sirius spoke up. "We will still have a birthday that will make both Harry's and Neville's day."

…..

Everyone watched as the reality around them disappeared in ripples and a new scene took its place.

And Harry knew he would always lose his breath whenever his eyes lay upon its great image. Though the ride through the forests and countryside were a bit monotonous, its vast lands were rich with nature and crops; the tall and glistening castle in the foggy distance as a backdrop. It was a peaceful scene, and Harry hoped he would love his kingdom and home.

While there were little cottages built along the way, far in the distance, there weren't many. And when Harry asked about them, Elder Elenshaer reported that many elves lived outside of the kingdom's protective walls, but the reason for that was because they were elves with a lower status. Nevertheless, the elder assured them that the kingdom's patrols helped to protect its citizens, whether they live within or beyond the kingdom's walls.

The ride went by quickly after that, and soon, they were within the walls of a vast city. The way towards the palace was filled with girlish squeals and giggles, admiration for the structural builds of the elven homes around the land. Elves themselves were trying to peer into their carriages, but the drapes prevented anyone from peeking in.

There were several instances that the girls realized a trend, which Elder Elenshaer explained that, while elves were immortal, there weren't many children born, given their status as immortals. Immortality did not beget children; and for that, elves born were often celebrated throughout the kingdom, whether or not the elves were of a low or high status. But that was because of the war that occurred; some elves were still a bit too traumatized and that trauma affected how safe they felt in their own homes, which affected their lives as well.

Elder Elenshaer also told them that with the heir now present in the kingdom, its people would rejoice and hopefully, a larger generation will present itself in time. Harry and his girls flushed with embarrassment. Their ride soon stopped and one by one, they departed from their vehicle.

Whereas there were thick walls that encircled the large kingdom, the palace walls were shorter. Twelve bastions armed with arrows and other projectiles, stood with overwhelming power, each filled with a handful of armed soldiers ready and alert for battle. Crystal stonewalls embedded with diamonds, glistened from the rush of coursing waters, its delicate architecture belying the barrier's impenetrable fortitude, as a result of years of carefully thought-out floor plans for construction after the war. Heavy vines wrapped around the base of the walls, were lined with thorns for unlucky victims.

At the very center of the palace, the large party could see the three translucent domes placed grandly upon the three prominent buildings within the snow-white citadel. The one of the left was where the king's army and men stayed, explained Elder Elenshaer. The one on the right was where the king's administration occupied. And the middle building was where the king resided, corridors upon corridors linking the main structure to branches where his family and trusted inhabited – or so, that was what Elder Elenshaer had told them on the way to the kingdom.

"Harry, please follow me." The elf said, after they entered the palace. When the girls made to follow, the elf acknowledged their presence and led them down several corridors. "The other attendants will lead you to your rooms for the stay of this trip." The elder reported, relieving the other witches and wizards from their confusion.

The palace workers bowed as they passed, but did nothing to interrupt their own jobs.

"In here," Elder Elenshaer motioned to the pair of golden doors with branch and floral pattern and an arch made of mosaic glass.

"My King."

Before them was an elf with long flowing silver hair with a few locks plaited and tied at the back of his head; face devoid of any blemish or wrinkles and jaw sharp and chiseled. Though, the most distinct feature was the bright green eyes, similar to that of Harry's own emerald eyes. His aura was quite overwhelming, and his clothes depicted his royal status.

…..

"Elenshaer, is this –" Green eyes roved over the near mirror image of his son-in-law. Harry was definitely his father's son as far as Orelon could see. Oh, but his eyes; yes, Harry definitely had his beloved daughter's eyes.

"Yes, your majesty. This is your grandson and his mates bar one. Harry, this is High King Orelon."

"Grandfather is fine," The royal spoke up, walking around his table. "Or grandpa, whichever one is fine with me. No need for formalities around family."

Harry shifted on his feet, "It's nice to meet you grandfather."

The bright smile Harry received in return was more than enough to settle his nerves.

"Come, won't you introduce me to your mates?"

"Of course. This is Hermione Granger, Susan Bones, Daphne Greengrass, Luna Lovegood, Fleur Delacour and Nymphadora Tonks – but she'd prefer Tonks."

"Why, Nymphadora is a beautiful name," The king complimented, amusement in his voice when the witch thanked him with a small scowl on her face. "And your last mate..?"

"I-" Harry coughed uncomfortably into a closed fist, "I have yet to choose one more."

"Now, now." King Orelon motioned them to his sitting area, "Do not make it sound as if you are drawing from a lottery. Each of your mates have feelings, and I'm sure they'd be grateful that you didn't treat them like cattle when choosing them."

A servant came in, placing small teacups onto the table before filling them up and putting out a tower of finger foods. He bowed and walked out of the room.

"Come, I'm sure you're all peckish from your journey."

Harry easily filled his small plate up and began to eat. The girls soon followed and in that comfortable silence, Hermione gathered up her courage and began to throw out questions about the elven race.

Harry watched as High Ki – his grandfather – smiled and eyes sparkling, answered Hermione's questions. The elf knew his _m_ _î_ _n-chev_ would never run out of questions; her entire repertoire was filled with inquisitive inquiries.

"Hermione, it's better to let grandfather breathe." Harry gently chastised, but Orelon waved away his worries.

"Nonsense, if Miss Granger,"

"Hermione, please, Your Majesty." She blushed when he chuckled.

"If Hermione wishes to learn, she may do so." His green eyes turned to glance at Elenshaer, and the elf huffed in mock displeasure, knowing what the king will say. "If she had been an elf, she would have grown up a Scholar."

"Oh! Elves have trades?" Hermione asked, eagerly soaking up the information.

Orelon nodded his head, "Each elf, around 5 summers gone, will have already known what profession they wish to enter. It is possible that they will get training and change their minds, but other than that, most of them will stay in their line of work."

"Your Majesty," Elder Elenshaer interrupted, "While I regret to inform you, there are many preparations to arrange and you have your paperwork to finish."

"Quite right," The King moved from his seat to stand. The fluid motion belied his age, and Harry had a true picture of immortality. "I apologize to you all, but Elenshaer is correct. I will meet you all for dinner tonight. Please do pardon my absence."

"That's all right, grandfather." Harry said. "We shouldn't have interrupted your work. We'll see you at dinner then?"

"Yes, my dear." Orelon wrapped Harry in the first familial hug he'd ever gotten. "I shall see you in a couple of hours time."

"Your Highness, we must leave."

Harry turned to the Elder and nodded his head, giving his grandfather a hug before departing. Orelon stared at Elenshaer with a particular look, and the Elder nodded his head.

Protect the heir at all cost.

Protect his family.

…..

"Which color would you like for the ceremony?"

Harry winced as color swatches were brought out and practically shoved at his face. He barely kept from holding his hands out in an act of defense; he knew Draco would laugh, as would the rest of his friends and family. As if those small colorful squares could injure him.

"I liked the color of your dress back in fourth year, Hermione. You know, the one you wore during the Yule ball?" Harry offered.

Hermione's eyes brightened and everyone was nodding their heads in unison. The gown had brought out Hermione's hidden beauty, and the color had matched her perfectly! Not to mention, it matched the color of the Yule ball decorations – periwinkle blue indeed.

"We could use that as the main color," Daphne suggested, sifting through the rest of the swatches. "And this one would do wonderfully for the decorations," She was holding onto a baby blue color swatch; it was so pale, it was nearly white. Yet, when it was held up in the light, they could see the tint of blue on it.

"Brilliant! I'll just leave the colors to you girls," Harry chuckled relieved.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'll help too, but you better learn, Potter." He teased, "How are you going to run the kingdom with horrible fashion sense?"

"I've got my mates." Harry insisted. He knew nothing about fashion; why couldn't people just throw on whatever was easy, simple and comfortable?! That had worked for him for _years_.

Fleur rolled her eyes, "You're lucky we're here for you, 'Arry." She plucked another color swatch from the pile and held it up for Hermione's scrutinizing. The blond placed it into the 'acceptable' pile before looking through the rest. Most of the 'acceptable' pile was filled with soft pastel swatches, but the Veela thought they needed a darker, bolder color.

"Oh, I love this color!" Susan sighed, "But it doesn't go with periwinkle blue."

"You can have it," Hermione smiled, "For _your_ wedding."

The thought of having her own wedding sent a violent flush rushing onto Susan's face. Tonks had to conjure a fan and fan the embarrassed Hufflepuff until the blood drained from her cheeks.

"Come now, Harry. It is yours and Hermione's wedding. The least you can do is prepare for it. The woman in the relationship is not supposed to do everything."

"But I thought weddings were a girl's dream moment." Harry frowned, "Isn't it their moment to shine?"

"It's both yours, to show the world – your friends and family – that you're at your most happiest, most fortuitous moment in life." Severus explained.

"I thought having a baby also fell into that category."

"It does, pup." Sirius looked at the dumbfounded look on Harry's face and burst into laughter, "Oh, you have so much to learn."

"And we're here to help you along the way," Remus interrupted, jamming an elbow into his mate's ribs. He smiled innocently in Harry's direction when his cub turned to look at him. Teddy easily toddled over to his godfather and took his attention away.

"Very well then," Harry replied. Teddy cooed in his lap and clapped his hands. Harry reached around Teddy and slowly grabbed a fierce red color swatch and held it up, "How about this one?"

The girls narrowed their eyes at him and he swallowed the uncomfortable lump in his throat.

"Look at the acceptable pile, Harry." Susan tsked, "Honestly, men."

"I don't fall into _his_ category," Draco sniffed, pulling out a perfectly good match to the periwinkle blue they've already found. "Thank Merlin I have some fashion sense."

"You've got enough snootiness to go around," Harry laughed playfully, ignoring Draco's baleful glare. Teddy turned to look at his godfather and laughed along with him, not knowing what exactly it was he was laughing at, but squealed even louder when everyone else joined in on the fun. "Honestly, I can't tell what's what. Forgive me ladies, but I'd rather taste test the food."

"I second!" Neville and the rest of the males exclaimed, earning a round of laughter from their tight knit group.

…..

"May I present, His Royal Majesty, High King Orelon."

The large doors opened up to reveal the King of _Alfheim_. He wore resplendent robes fashioned from _calienth_ , an ocean blue with grey trim that matched the silvery strands of his hair. His boots were made from _orethan_ , so clean and so white that not even a speckle of dust dared to tarnish its material. Atop his plaited hair was his sparkling bejeweled crown of golden twined vines and delicate silvery leaves.

Once he made it onto the ground floor, the Herald spoke once more.

"May I present, His Royal Highness, Hadrian James Black, and his mates, Lady Hermione Jean Granger, Lady Susan Amelia Bones, Lady Daphne Celeste Greengrass, Lady Luna Pandora Lovegood, Lady Fleur Aurore Delacour, and Lady Nymphadora Drusilla Tonks."

One by one, the seven of them entered through the doors. As Harry's betrothed and soon-to-be first wife, Hermione had the honor of being escorted down to the ballroom. The rest of his mates walked down by themselves in the order they were named, met by Harry at the very bottom of the steps, laying a kiss upon the back of their hand as he escorted each of them towards his grandfather's side.

Once Harry had his ladies with him, Orelon spoke up.

"Thank you all, for coming to my grandson's inheritance ball. It is a momentous occasion when the members of our race have come into their adulthood. This party is also to commemorate my heir's return to _Alfheim_ as he has been lost to us for some time now. Let this feast be the start of a new beginning, for _Alfheim_ , for our kingdom, for our prince, and for our future."

There was polite applause in some places, while others lifted their goblets in agreement. Most of the ones that applauded were the magicals from Wizarding Britain; the others who lifted their goblets were the elves of _Alfheim_ , as was tradition for most speeches during meals.

"You look handsome, Hadrian." Orelon said, leading Harry away from his party to greet the guests.

"Thank you," Harry beamed. "I wasn't quite used to the robes here, but I'm surprised it's even softer than Acromantula silk. It's even lighter than cotton."

"Our attire is designed with the mindset of mobility. Anyone and everyone should be combat ready."

"I thought this only fell into the category of war – have we not established peace in _Alfheim_?"

"A majority of our elves are warriors, though they have not chosen to become such as their trade." Orelon explained. He smiled at a nearby group of guests, holding a hand up in greeting before walking off. "Every child is trained in the art of combat, and while they are in other trades, each elf is devoted in becoming the best warrior for our kingdom. Everyone remembers the time when our kingdom had fallen to war. There had been enough warriors, but there was always need for more."

"Your Majesty, Your Highness."

"Mennor," Orelon smiled. "Harry, this is Elder Mennor. Mennor, this is my grandson Hadrian. Harry, Mennor has been my best friend since we were children."

Elder Mennor was a tall and broad shouldered elf, about six feet seven in height. He was at equal height with the King, but his coloring was completely different. His clear aquamarine eyes and startling pink hair clashed with his mocha chocolate skin.

"Come now, Your Majesty. It is befitting of the king to perform some sort of formality even if it is with his best friend."

"Nonsense!" Orelon chuckled. "Mennor has always been the straight laced sort of elf ever since we were kids. He'd grown as the Commander's son, but changed to politics once his own son had become a great soldier. Now, he's an Elder for the new elves that have come into their inheritance. Mind you, he also dabbles in a bit of politics. Mennor can give a mean argument when he needs to."

"You're making me blush," Mennor said.

Harry did not see any sort of redness to the elf's cheeks. Mennor was just as stoic as his grandfather portrayed him to be. His muscles showed Harry that the elf indeed was, or had been, a soldier. Mennor's thick muscles were nearly twice the size of Harry's own arm. The muscles were slightly larger than his own grandfather's, but Harry couldn't tell with the robes Orelon wore. Yet, he couldn't help but be impressed that while elves were immortal and have been quite ancient for a while now, they still refused to fall behind in their personal training.

Harry was certain that many enemies had been felled by such strength. Taking a peek around the hall, Harry could see that even the most feminine of the female elves were still muscular.

"I'll not hold you here any longer," Mennor stated. "I know you have other guests to greet. It was nice meeting you, Your Highness. My King, I shall see you soon."

Orelon grumbled halfheartedly, but allowed his friend to leave the vicinity. He led Harry away and towards another group of elves, introducing his grandson to them before repeating the process for a half hour.

Once Orelon reached the dais with Harry, music started up and soon, couples were dancing away in the middle of the ballroom.

"Grandfather, how was your work?" Harry asked politely.

Orelon shook his head, "There will come a time where I do not need to do any paperwork. A ruler's weakness, Harry, is always, _always_ their paperwork."

Harry chuckled good-naturedly, easily absorbed in conversation with the last of his blood. His friends and family saw how finding the King had made Harry more lighthearted. His shoulders were less tense and he no longer furrowed his eyebrows as much. Additionally, the king's most trusted friends and advisor had never seen him more relaxed than he currently was. The king had spent years worrying over his daughter, then to receive the news of her death and subsequent revelations of his grandson being alive; well, they were glad that Hadrian had returned to them.

"Enough about me. I think you should pay your lovely mates some attention," Orelon advised.

Harry looked out into the hall filled with dancing couples. "I'm not sure I can handle dancing in public." He chuckled self deprecatingly, "I've been told I have two left feet."

"Have you not been having dancing lessons?" Orelon asked curiously.

Harry nodded his head, "I have, but I'm afraid to embarrass myself and, in turn, you. I'm certain there are many people here who have their expectations set for the heir to the throne."

Orelon shook his head, "Expectations from others are not what you should strive for, Hadrian. You must think of yourself and what you wish to accomplish. Others should be there to support your decisions, to give assistance when you need help, and to advice you when you are wrong. How can you fulfill every single person's expectations of you? Do not burden yourself with unneeded stress."

"Good advice from one with such experience," Elenshaer said sagely.

The King laughed boisterously, "Did you not teach me such things when I was but a child?"

The Elder smiled, "Then I have taught you well."

Harry blinked and looked between the two, "You were his student? And you were his teacher?!"

"Do not be so surprised, young one." Elenshaer said. "Most Elders that have derived from the Scholar trade have been deemed acceptable tutors to the most wealthy of elves. It just so happens that when it came my turn, I was given the task of teaching your grandfather and molding him to become the perfect king."

Then the Elder bent down and whispered into Harry's ear, "Now that I have taught your grandfather well, I think now is the time for you to ask for your mates' hand to dance." He straightened from his bent position and nodded when Harry looked warily towards the dance floor.

Gathering up his Gryffindor courage, Harry stood up and walked towards his first mate. "Hermione, may I have the honor to dance with you?"

The brunette smiled sheepishly, turning amused eyes towards her soon to be sister wives, "We actually had a bet going on as to how long it would take for you to ask one of us to dance –"

" – And whom you would ask first," Daphne completed.

Harry raised an eyebrow, "And?"

The question didn't nearly have enough time to dangle in the air as galleons traded hands and Hermione stood up and offered up her own hand into Harry's waiting one.

The couples on the dance floor made way for Harry and Hermione, bowing and curtsying when the royal couple arrived. Only when the engaged couple start dancing did the others continue.

…..

"It's not what I'd imagine a ball in the elven world to be," Daphne noted. Though the races were different and the culture and society were different, there were similarities between both worlds.

"I'm glad we're here to experience it," Luna exclaimed, in her robes of pure white.

"My Lady, will you honor me with a dance?"

The women turned as one, blistering arctic looks eyeing up the elf that had been courageous enough to ask one of their own to dance – one of the Crown Prince's _mates_ to dance with him.

"And which one did you think you'd be able to accompany?" Fleur asked, her midnight blue robes swishing around her ankles as she turned to face the new comer.

The elf stood, not at all afraid of their sharp gazes nor the curious looks from neighboring individuals.

"I stand by my offer," He answered Fleur before turning to look at Luna. "My Lady, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

Luna smiled up at him and placed her hand in his, gripping it with monstrous strength, shocking the elf at her small stature but inhuman strength. "Of course, I'd love to have this dance."

He bowed at the waist and led her to the dance floor, eyes catching his Crown Prince's piercing emerald green eyes, silently asking for permission. He hoped that it meant 'yes' when Hadrian had turned away to look at the lovely witch in his arms.

As if it were their cue, other elves soon walked up to the rest of Harry's mates to ask for their hand. Most were nicely rejected and none of the elves felt bad about it. There were a couple of young ones who were furious, because they had hoped to get an in with the Crown Prince. Daphne, Tonks and Fleur had recognized those select few, fending them off for their younger sister-wives.

"My Lady, would you dance with me?"

Fleur turned quick as a flash, but calmed when it was Harry whom had asked for her hand. Draco was dancing with Luna right now and Theodore was with Susan. Blaise was with an elf, as Severus stood by Elder Elenshaer firing away with questions about the elven healing culture. Tonks was currently dancing with Remus; Daphne was with young Teddy whom was squealing and more bending at his knees than moving around the dance floor, but having no less fun doing so, leaving Fleur alone to watch her fellow sister-wives. Hermione had gotten caught up in Sirius's gentlemanly mood, leaving Harry to come looking for her.

"I was wondering when you'd come and ask for my 'and." Fleur said smiling.

"Better late than never, my dear," Harry replied, taking her to the dance floor and twirling her around.

"How are you feeling about all of this?" Harry asked in a solemn tone. "I apologize that all this had been thrown on you before any one of you had gotten a notification about it."

"Non, 'Arry," Fleur denied. "Though I had not expected marriage so soon, I am glad it would be with you. Not all veelas get to have their 'appy ever after with so many people falling for their allure than for themselves as individuals."

"Yeah.. I'm not quite certain I've felt an allure before." Harry admitted.

"Were you not at the Quidditch World Cup two years ago?"

"Yes, but I wanted the Veela cheerleaders to get off the pitch so the game could begin."

Fleur's tinkling laughter broke out and she shook her head fondly, "Only you, 'Arry. Only you."

Harry didn't know if he should've felt insulted, but if Fleur was happy that he wasn't as affected by a veela's allure like others were, then he was glad. Fleur had even planted a kiss on his cheek, eyes willed with fond affection.

The Crown Prince looked around the hall and saw each of his mates having the time of their lives. He was glad his family and friends joined in on his journey, and he wouldn't have had it any other way.

…..

A/N: Hello everyone! As you've read in this chapter, there are now six of the seven slots, for Harry's mates, filled. I have chosen my last mate, and I was wondering if any of you might take a gander at her. Honestly, I think I've left some clues in the last couple of chapters, but if you cannot tell, I should probably work on dropping better subtle hints. Some of you have already gotten the girl correct, so I'm happy about that! Anyway, thank you so, so much for standing by as I gather up my thoughts and write them down for my stories. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have a lovely Thanksgiving weekend.

 _Melleth nin_ : My love


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